TRIPLE MURDER

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 240, 10 October 1934, Page 8

TRIPLE MURDER

BUSH TRAGEDY.

PARENTS AND SON.

SECOND SON IN CRITICAL STATE.

SEARCH FOR ASSAILANT.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TE KUITI, this day. A terrible tragedy has taken place at the sheep run of Mr. G. M. Davenport, in the Rangitoto district. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport and their son Albert have been murdered in cold blood, and Edward Davenport, the younger son, is in 'le Kuiti Hospital in a critical condition with severe head injuries. The first word of the tragedy was when Major Wcstinacot informed the police that a native living near his farm, about eight miles from the Davenports' home, had run away, and that he thought he might have gone in the direction of the Davenports' farm. Police from Te Kuiti, in pursuing this report, rang up the Davenport home and spoke to Mr. Davenport, sen., about !) o'clock last evening. They were told that Edward Davenport (aged about 27) had left home at f> p.m., to investigate a slip on the road, about three and a half miles away. About 0 p.m. a Maori answering the description given (o the police by Major [Westniacott had arrived at the homestead, saying that Edvard Davenport had been attacked by white men, and lie (the Maori) had come to git help. Albert Davenport and the Maori went to investigate, armed with rilles. They left the house about G p.m. On ringing up the Davenport homestead the police got :io reply. They immediately communicated with Mr. 10. J. Davenport, a nephew of Mr. <!. M. Davenport, who knows the country very well. He and Constables Rose, Muir and Fry went out to investigate late last night, leaving about Id o'clock. The car was stopped by a slip on the road, and while halted they noticed a pool of blood by the roadside. They also heard groans from over a precipitous bank. They clambered down and found Edward Davenport very severely wounded in the head.

Constables Muir and Fry brought the injured man to Te Kuiti Hospital. An operation was performed immediately, but the patient is in a critical condition. In the meantime Mr. E. J. Davenport and Constable Rose proceeded to the homestead. On arrival at the site they found that it had been burned. No signs of the parents were found, nor of the Maori. Woman's Body Found. Inspector White and other officers from Hamilton, together with Sergeant Paine, left early this morning, soon after the injured man had been brought into Te Kuiti. They have since found the body of Mrs. Davenport in the smouldering ruias of the home. Until the burning remains of the house cool off, further investigation is impossible, but 110 hopes of finding Mr. Davenport, sen., alive' are entertained. About nine o'clock this morning two Maoris reported to the party at the homestead that they had seen a body in a wliare about four miles up the road towards Otorohanga. » This proved to be the body of Albert Davenport, who had been shot through the back of the head. The bodies are being brought back to Te Kuiti to-day. Reinforced forces of police are scouring the country ror the Maori.