ELTHAM MURDER CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Issue 291, 9 December 1925, Page 12

ELTHAM MURDER CHARGE.

GRAY BEFORE THE COUR* "TOOK HIS SON'S LIFE." DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING. , - • COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.. ~ (By Telegraph.—Prese Association.) ELTHAM, Tuesday. The deferred murder charge against Archibald Gray (late health inspector at Eltham), "that on November 26, 1925, he did murder his son, William Gray, was continued at Eltham to-day, an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of William Gray being conducted concurrently. Mr. C. B. On •Walker, S.M., presided - over the murder charge, and Mr. J. W. Stubbs, J.P., coroner, was assisted with a jury of four. The publii part of the court w*a crowded when Gray entered the box. George Henry Carter, an employee at the Egmont, Box Factory, said he knew the, accused Gray, who was his next door neighbour. Oα November"" 26 : last witness was' sitting at breakfast about 6.30 a.m., when, in consequence '- of something he heard from his wife, he went to his back which, faces Gray's property. Screams from the "Washhouse. When he got to the door he heard someone calling out and screaming. These sounds were coming from a washhouse in Gray's property. Whenfte heard the screams he jumped the fence between Gray's property and his own, and he saw ilrsj Gray and her daughter coming out of the waehhouse. He saw Gray bending, or kneeling, in the washhouse over ( the body of Willie Gray, who was lying flat on his back' on the waehhouse floor. The boy's throat was cut, and there "was blood all over the floor. - He /secured Gray by the coat collar and pulled him out of tfie washhouse. - - ■•.-'■ "I asked Gray," said witness, "if -he knew what he was doing, and he said • 'N0. ,,, - ■; Mr. Carter said when he got Gray out of the .washhouse he asked him if he knew : that he had taken his son's life, . and why he did it. Razor Taken from Gray. Gray said "No." -Gray had a razor in his right hand. Hβ (witness) relieved accused of the razor, and 'threw it over his. own fence. He identified a razor produced as the "one;in'question. ■; When he arrived on the scene first he heard Mrs. Gray screaming, "You have killed Willie." As far as witness could, judge, Gray made no attempt on the life of his wife or daughter. An Affectionate Father. Cross-examined, witness ■ said ■ that Gray was on affectionate terms with the ■ members of his family. "I' have .never ■ heard him have a wrong., word with his. eon Willie; in fact, I should say he was very fond of the boy, and of his family. • They were his first consideration." The second witness was Douglas Hutchison Saunders, medical practititioner, ' who said that on his arrival at Gray's house he found the body of the boy Willie Gray in the washhouse in. a pool of blood. Admissions to Constable. . "Did accused say anything to Constable Townsend in your presence?" "Yes, he said he meant to kill the lot, end then himself." "From conversation with Gray, would you ascribe any motive for the occurrence?"—" No." "Do you consider that in this case provisions'which the law have made for the observation of a person.in the position of accused should be invoked?"—"l do." Constable Townsend detailed having gone to the scene of the tragedy, and the finding of the boy on the floor, quite dead, with his throat cut. He went into the kitchen of Gray's house, and found Gray there. He said to accused: "Do you know what you have done?" Accused whispered "Yes." Gray further said: "I have- been nervy, and not sleeping, and I intended to kill them all, and then myself." When Gray was at the police' Station he said: J 'It is an awful thing. I don't know why I did it." Accused made a statement of con- :■■ fession on the above lines, and ■■ it was produced in court. In this he said- "I have been nervous and not sleeping. I was on notice of transfer to Dannevirke. I sold my house about a week aco I ■ intended to kill all the family and then - kill myself. I got up this morning . about 6.30. My boy, William, 15 years Df age, was up first. He was cleaning {lie boots and the girls' boots in the frashhouse when I went out. I struck Jim on the head with a hammer, and • then cut his throat. My wife and littlt 1 girl, Isabella, six years of age, were ir . bed. They came outside, and I tried tc : cut my wife's throat. Sir. Carter, fron next door, came and stopped mc." Defence Reserved.. . Counsel intimated that-prisoner would ;• enter a plea of not guilty, and reservt his defence.' Accused was therefore committed to the Supreme Court at-New Plymouth for. trial. After a retirement of eleven minutes the coroner's jurj . returned- . a finding-/ "that Willie Gray met. his death through, heart failure, following hemorrhage, as the i result of a. wound in the neck caused by Archibald Gray." , . The jury added a rider that.Mr. Cartel •was to be highly commended for the brave manner in which he took the razor : from Gray. . Mr. Spence urged that the only medical •witness called had recommended a certain course. Advantage should be taken of section 137 of the Mental Defectives Act, and Gray should be -committed to a mental institution for-examination arid observation. He lodged' formal applica- : tion, and his worship undertook to bring ; the matter before.:the Minister of JusI• tice. i