FARM TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 85, 11 April 1931, Page 7

FARM TRAGEDY.

I RICKARDS BEFORE COURT ! ALLEGED MURDER OF OLD MAN PRISONER REMANDED. 1 -• . UNCONCERNED DEMEANOUR. (By Telegraph.—dwn Correspondent.) HAMILTON, this day. Reginald Thomas Norman Rickards, aged 37, appeared before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., this morning charged with the murder of Arthur Rose iter, aged 87, at Kaipaki yesterday. Rickards i§ about sft Gin tall and of rather small but solid build. His face was pale and his hair dishevelled, and he wore a double-breasted navy suit. When he appeared in Court he was minus a collar and tie, and had on a seaman's navy flannel shirt. He seemed quite unconcerned and gazed nonchalantly around the room. Petective-Sergeant J. Thompson, after the charge had been read to accused, who , was not represented by counsel, i asked for a remand till April 29. i Asked if he consented to the remand, ! Rickards answered in a quiet but steady 1 voice: "Yes." 1 On the charge sheet Rickards was de- I scribed as a native of Cambria. He was born at Yukon and served in the Great War. For some years he was at sea. He went to France with the Canadian I Expeditionary Force and was wounded J at Vimy Ridge in 1917, after which he 1 was returned to Canada. He came to ( New Zealand in 1922. Landing at Wei- c lington, lie took up painting and paper- \ hanging, at which trade he has worked s on and off ever since , in various parts 1 of the North Island, including Auckland r and Hamilton. 1 1 For the past 18 months he has been c in the neighbourhood of Ohaupo. It was while he was doing odd jobs for tlic r murdered man that he became acquainted v with the latter's daughter Olive. 1 Night's Rest Enjoyed. a

Although he was trembling and was excitcd when he was first brought to Hamilton vqsterday, Rickards has 6ince behaved normally. He enjoyed a good night's rest. _ ■ Further details in connection with the tragedy indicate that Mr. Rossiter was about to sit down to breakfast when the fatal .shot was fired from behind him. The pellets entered the rear of the head and came through the right eye. Only one shot was apparently fired. It was believed that the tragedy was enacted on Mr. Rossiter s farm at about 8.30 o'clock yesterday The dead man was known to have carried out the milking, and his son, who occupies a farm nearby, saw the old man about 8 a.m. On learning of the tragedy Inspector Eccles, accompanied by DetectiveSergeant Thompson and DetectiveSergeant White, went to the farm, and as a result- of their investigations Detective-Sergeant Thompson and' Constable Rimmer arrested Rickards, who was brought into Hamilton by the police and charged with murder. Mr. Rossiter was a very oM resident of Kaipakf. In the bedroom to the rear of that Where the body was found the window had been covered With the blind, over which a blanket had been securely nailed. The front-door had also been nailed up from the inside. There was a fire in the sitting room, which had apparently been used for the cooking of the old man's breakfast.

Blood-stained Rags. A pot of tea stood on fhe hob, and in the embers of the fire were some partlyburned blood-stained rags. These apparently had been used in an effort to remove the traces of the tragedy from the kitchen floor and furniture. The remainder of the hoxise was much as usual. ; Rickards is believed to have been in the neighbourhood since Sunday last and to have been concealing himself in tne scrub and tea-tree which abound in the gullies 9f the district. His presence was unknown to the Rossiter family.