MAROHEMO TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 24, 28 January 1921, Page 5

MAROHEMO TRAGEDY.

STORY AT THE INQUEST. IfEEDHAM CHARGED WITH MXTRDI-R. "I'VE GOT YOU NOW.""----(By Telegraph.—O-vn Correspondent . MAUNGATUROTO, this day. i Th? adjourned inquest on the body of i William Needham was held yesterday | before the Coroner, Mr. .18. Arieir and the I'olice t'uuri preliminary trial was _cJ fore Messrs. 11. Culien and T. Healey, i J.P'-. Detective De Xorville represented : the police and Air. Kndean appeared for ' accused. I Winifred Xeedham. a single woman 'of -0 years, residing with her parents, I said that she got up at 6.J0 a.m. I Shortly afterwards accused and de- , ceased went to the cowshed to milk, and .-he followed later. After milking had ended her father and brother i -tarted separating, while she went to ' feed the calves. Deceased carried two j tins of milk to the calf pen, about half I a chain away. She passed him returning. I While at the calf pen _he heard accused ! say. "Damn you, I've got you at last." I Witness ran to the shed and saw her i brother lying on the floor with her ■ | lather standing between the engine and I the door striking her 'brother with ! something and also shrieking and yelling. She noticed that her brother had a bleeding wound on the back of his head. She ran up the paddock screaming and then returned to the separator room. Accused was still striking the boy. She went a little distance from the shed and saw her father leave in the direction of the house. A- he parsed he said, "Don't follow mc. : Wit- . ness went to the separator room where [ her brother was lying on his chest with . his head to one side. He was breathing ? heavily and his head wa_ covered with ,- blood. She put her apron under Bis 1 head and left the shed. She met her mother coming down and returned with her. Her mother spoke to the boy, but j recr-ived no answer. The girl wept toj wards the house, leaving her mother i with the boy. She saw her father standI ing under a willow tree near the house. i Blood was running down his clothing I and he was throwing his arms around ( frantically. A message was sent to Mr. I Steele, a neighbour. Witness next saw her father in bed. |As she passed he called to her and she j went in and asked. "Why did you do it ?" i j Accused said, "Billy swore at mc." H* -! added that he was sorry he had brought : I her ft this, and asked her for some /; poison. She then left and went with her >: sister i lira. Mc-Pherson) towards tho I j well, as she noticed her father's clothes ; were wet and muddy. The boards over c I the well were covered with blood and a II butcher's knife was sticking in the bank. c ; This she anJ her sister threw in the well. t. When she returned to the house her s- father had gone to the hospital. Witness v i rec_gni«_d the broom produced in Court las the one used at tiie shed. r '. CHASED WITH A KNIFE, c a i i-xa-nined by Mr. Endean. witness 3 j stated that some words could have passed ( between father and son while she was at ~ j the calf pen without her hearing them. 0: as tiie separator was going. Her father j ! was liable to fits of excited temper. He was worried last season about farm mat 5 j ters. and she had seen him crying often >v ■ and -wearing and quoting Scripture. n About a year ago her brother Matthew t . I tired some shots, as he told her at the i:i!ne. to frighten her father. Tie deceased also iired three shots. Thiwas to frighten accused, as he had chased them out of the bouse with a knife. ! Mary Elizabeth M-.-Pherson. a married ' .Miman. daughter uf accused, said that -lie was on a visit to the farm. At about -S a.m. on tiie Itith she heard moaning from the direction of the cowshed, and j saw her father coming up the paddock. i She told her mother that something ha-i ? , happened. She got a rirle and met her v I father and asked him what he had don. . v He said. "Go. look for yourself.'' H ■ -;a=ked her to shoot him. and passed in;.. :- tiie house by tlie back door. She went y in by tlie front. Accused was at a il drawer in tiie kitchen getting a knife. c , She struck iiira on the head with the n rirle to stun him. and prevent further --d_r.i_.ge. Someor." then took the rifle d I from her. Accused went in the direction c i "f tiie we!!, and later she saw him return-

' in-r looking very helpless and fitful, waving his arm.*. The front of his clothes was red. Witness went with her sister to the well to look for the knife, and saw j the same as the previous witness. Co_-"ta.r*le Roag said that he was do r.g -i.ity at the Wairoa when he received a c-all. and -returned at once. He £-■■*- decea-sed at tbe shed, and described his 1 wo-nnis. etc. Later be placed. accused I TTHrer arrest, at the hospital. Accused I -old bo-w the tragedy occurred. I This concluded the inquest, and the I eor.'-n-T's jury fosmd that \YiHi_m : Raw'.irrs Needham met 'his death through j -iitv-K, caused by laceration of the brain from blow-s on the head -vih'rdly inflict-d by liis father, Thomas Need-am-JiLLED WITH RE-yIORSE. i Rosina Catherine Reynolds, a single i woman, staying at Needhams' h-o—ie. j stated that a*h--rt P- a.m. came into the kitchen very evcited. He went :to the drawer where the cutlery was ' kept, and took a knife. She snatch* I 1 this from h'-i. He said be wanted | another knife, and took a knife and a | steel. She tried to sto*> him. but be ! pushed her aside. Witness told him to ;be careful. a.= the c-hiMren were about. ! Accused ;a.ii I am not going to touch j the children. T am going to to**c_ snvi -eif. He -went out s'narpenimrf the kn*.? ion the steel. Prior to hi* leaving Mr-. ] Mc-Ph-ears-in ?:*--<*k "r.im two "blows with i th- rifle, and w : m».-s milied the r.-f:----j fro-m her. The blow; had. no effect. I AV-rt o.2'"' am. she saw reused I re*urn. Ii» w a - i'->edir.:_ from the throat, land his cl.-the-s were wet and i-™*-?;^' ' wen* away She -*o*n saw h-rr. in bed. .la-ma- <'r»v SrerK a farm**- said h .* .- arr - adjoined N- -rhams About S -IP : a™on t,e *■„-,■•¥«? the rracredy ne ' ! -iroree-ied to acc.sed's house, w-cre tie >-t at The r_<* of : He *-a= -erCi~ agitated, am fHled <*■** - —,„--.. " a p.d was scak.n. wet. Wtn*-*- ---, „i-eH'what was the matter. He replied ! -PTy .wore at him. and he hit aim ■ ~i 'V- n A-n VT-n-ps-- persuaded h__ to f -:v;; s l H e afeo washed ami dressy neck with a towel, and jrot tmo bed of Mood and ,£*««!. eor-pla-n-in. bitterly tou :. . had k lied his s on. and WP Ac f attendi«- t_* . dr-ceasei. I'- " H - _,—„-, a 3.' toe . eviderrcp a- 5 to the no-- '--"•'-' . <_,-<--e of death. '. i'efl»d -.leaded not jr-irtT. and -was eo_tirri«ed to the -trr>r»m» Court.