TAIHAPE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 11

TAIHAPE TRAGEDY.

POLICE-SERGEANT'S STORY. ARREST OF MOGHAN. "I KILLED HIM WITH MY FIST." (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent). TAIHAPE, this day. hv t__ N I C,, ° 119 ' **"■• oar was engaged Dy the police, corroborated the evidence--01 -Moghan s surrender and admission of liaving killed Gemmell. He also stated that Oemmell's face was covered with wounds. There was no skin underneath the chin, the nose looked broken, and tbe upper part of the body was covered with marks. Moghan appeared perfectly sober and showed no sign of having 'been fighting. 'Sergeant Matthews, stationed at Taihape. deposed that on the morning of January 3, he received a message that a man had been killed at Moghan's farm. "With Cons.ta.blc (lerraghtv be proceeded by motor car. About a' mile this side of Moghan's farm be picked up Robert Riley and then proceeded to Moghan's farm. On arrival he saw accused coming from the direction of bis house towards witness. He said: "I give myself in charge; I killed him. Riley had nothing to do with it. He called. 'mc an Irish-bred mongrel. 1 struck him with my list.'' lie held out his hands for the handcuffs, and was, handcuffed by Constable (lerraghty. Constable Gerraghty, Riley, Moghan, and witness then walked towards the house. He saw the body of a man lying on the grass a few yards from the verandah, near a lilac tree. He asked I Moghan who it was. and Moghan replied "Geminel." The body was clad only in trousers and stockings. The trousers produced were the ones worn by Gemmel. Covering the upper part of the body and head was some sacking: on removing it he found the body of Gemmell, whom he had known for some time. As he uncovered the body he noticed that the face ivas very much disfigured, and accused remarked: "The dogs must have been at it during the night." There was a large circular patch of skin off the chin, the nose anpeared to have been smashed, and there was a cut over each eyebrow. The upper lip was cut through in two places, showing the teeth. The body was cold and rigid, lying with th" hend towards the. house nnd partly on its back with the legs drawn up. There was very little blood on any portion of the body, but immediately beyond the body near a lilac free the grass seemed to have been crushed down, and there was a large patch bloodstained. There was a small track of blood leadins to the verandah, and on the verandah there was a.Jarge bloodstain which had the. appearance of the body havintr lain there. After a short glance round the house he returned in the car with accused. Constable Gerratrhty and Riley. Ho gave .instructions for a doctor to he sent out, and shortly afterwards Dr. Hay arrived. Blood-Stained Clothes. On tbq floor at the bottom of the kitchen door there was a fairly large patch of blood. On the' diningroom floor between the open fireplace and Gemmell's room were some bloodstains which appeared to have had water thrown on them and .wept towards the open fireplace. In Geinmei. room the bed was disordered and the beddinz saturated with partly dried blood. There were. splashes of blood on two walls, | the side' of tbe bed and the head of I the bed. Some of the splashes were I within twelve inches of the ceiling, which was five feet above the top of the bed. On tbe floor towards the door there were more bloodstains. . T.ere were also more blood-tains at tbe base of the bedroom door. Dr. Hay arrive 1 and i_ade a careful examination of the body, after which the body was removed to "the hospital morgue. He and tonstable Geraghty returned to the house and made a further examination. In Moghan's room they found a heavy pair of working boots, which were bloodstained on the toes, soles and heels. There was a pair of bloodstained trousers with braces attached and a bloodstained shirt. These articles and a tuft of human hair were found, and had been in his possession ever s'.nce, except when . being Analysed. He searched for • any weapons with bio" dstains likely to have inflicted the wound., but failed to find any. Moghan's Statement. After the body was removed to the mor-uc he returned to the police statfon. He asked Moghan if he -wanted anything to eat. He said "Yes." He then said he would like to make a statement in writing. He took Moghan to his office, where he made the following statement: —"I, Anthony Moghan, of Raukura, farmer, wish to make the following statement: A man named R. G. Rilev. who is employed by mc, informed " mc yesterday that deceased Gemmell and a Maori named John .Tackson, commonly known as Maori Jack, had planned to kill mc. Gemmell was in mv house at the time and Riley and I came from the cowshed, and on entering the kitchen Gemmell called mc 'nil Irish-bred mongrel.' He. made this statement several times, and then rushed at mc. I guarded and struck him with my fist. He struck at mc first, and 1 liit him in self-defence. He hit mc twice on the chest. This hap- \ nened early in the afternoon. I had paid Gemmell off on January 1, 19-4. He refused to leave the place. Later in the evening Riley and I found Gemmell lying on the ground in front of mv house. He was insensible, and we tried to'bring him. round, but he did not come. I sent Riley to ring up for the police and a doctor. He went to Banks' place to ring up, but he was away. He then went away, and I told ' Jllfil' tb go into Taihape and inform the police and a doctor. I have read the | attached statement, which is true, and i made at my own request." Moghan added that he' would not say more. .until. he had seen his solicitor. Moghan said' he would not bring his wife into this. When arrested the clothing Moghan was wearing was bloodstained, and was sent away for analysis. Moghan was removed to the cell after making the statement. "When Moghan met witness at the gate he'appeared to be in a normal state. Riley was wildly excited, apparently suffering from liquor and shock. .Gemmell was a married man; who came from Auckland. He had one child, and had worked in the district for some time, formerly at the freezing works. Deceased's face did not look as if any part had been chewed off by a dog. Constable Gerrnghtv corroborated the evidence of the previous witness in all details up to the time of bringing Mo-han and Rilev into the lock-up. Moehan" said. "I killed him: Riley had nothing to do with it. T struck him with my fists in self-defence, didn't I. Bob?" "ivo one .answered" A little 1 later he repeated the statement, - and

witness replied, "I cannot say whether you struck him or not. If you did you will have to put up with the consequences.'" Constable King, stationed at Taihape. said he escorted accused to YYangamii on 4th January. On the way to tbe station Moghan said. "1 suppose I'll get live or six years for tit "is." Witness replied, "It's" hard to say what you'll get.'' The Injuries Described. Dr. H. X. Hay. who examined the iiody, said that over tbe rigiit eyebrow was a wound involving the scalp about two and a-half inches in length and running towards the temple. llejiind the wound, and at right-angles to it, -as another wound an inch ion g. There was a wound about one and a-halt inches long over tbe left eyebrow; there was also a wound over tbe root of the nose, disclosing a fractured nasal bone. There were two wounds on the right side of the upper lip and a large area of skin lias missing from the point of I the chin. There was also a deep wound in front of the right car. Behind the left ear was a wound four to tour and a-half inches long. Running horizontally about t«o inclies above this was another wound two inches long behind the ear and Behind this were tbrcc small wounds, each an inch long. Tbe upper jaw on the liight side was fractured. There was a fracture of the lower jaw at tbe left angle. There were considerable bruises over the back of the right hand; there was also a fracture of (he right ulvular bone, about an inch from the wrist. Internally there was a large radiating fracture of the left occipital bone. There were also other fractures. The stomach contained no alcohol. In his opinion death wss due lo shock and from hemorrhage caused by a fracture of the skull. To Inspector Foully: In his opinion death had ensued more than eight hours before he saw the body, but it could have been any time previous up to SHS hours. He could not say that a dog had lieen at (lie body. Some of the other injuries would have been sufficient to cause death. The coroner returned the following verdict :--"That deceased. John (iordon nemmell. died at Raukura. Taihape, on the 3rd day of January. 1024. from iniuries received at the hands of Anthony Moghan."