WOMAN'S DEATH

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 219, 16 September 1938, Page 11

WOMAN'S DEATH

INQUEST HELD.

FELL ON TO ROAD. PASSKNGER IN TRUCK. DRIVER LATER ARRESTED. INTOXICATION IS ALLEGED. ('■. !■ -i.il!.. -<•«■„ r-orrosponacnt.) NAI'JKH, this day. Tlr :■■„,.,.(„„,.,,<, surrounding the 'li-'<ll' -: ■' "'-man, Marjorie Ah Sue. ! " .-'■'' -■■ ' '"' 'i' ,,,1 frriin injuries received '" !l ! ■■'■■'■ »'vi,|n,,t Ht Pakowhni between \.,.i.. r ~i.,| Hastings, O |, August '-'•'■ «■•:■■ i-l-l «t an iiinuat hold at Waipii« i v- 1 rl "l«y. A:<.-. !l ;' i, '-i"S 13 witnesses, the '■'.'""■ , '".-, ''■ V Hnanp, returned a verdie .'I .i.-idenial rlosith. \h •»•„, I ujnw market gardener, of Tan,.1.!,. l,, w ,and of tho dead woman, <»"! ... ( ..tirt his wife 1....1 ; 6 f t him or SalnnlMV An-ii-t 27. fo livn wit! , „ .Maori named Hoy KnniHll. who 1,1 1 *lnvr.l :il; «itno»V house, rv, Moni!.,y. Atp.-Mi •'!). deceased had been brouoht l*.-k !..v h.-r swter, M, ; . <, at erho,te. " fl " >'■"' '"'-I "it ness that. Marjorie hful tlii-'-.-i: <• 11 il In tuko poison. Aim-it f Mir n'clii.'k mi Aii-ust 29 RoShv Martin, l.rnthrr of the deceased, arrived at witness , house and borrowed a true!. Mirtin returned about seven o'clock wit]) Mr*. Waterhonsw „,„! her husband. Arthur V\ aterhoii«e. At. that time, said n-itnens, Murtin had had some drink hut win tint, quite drunk. Witness considered he wax fit to drive the truck.

Miirfin m\ hi* party stayed at witrii'«-<' li'iii-c flliout a quarter of an hour, and then went to KnninuVi whare. taking the deceased with them to talk to Kiimiui. Brother Was "Wild." To Detective-Sergeant Nnttall witness «nid .Martin was "wild" because the deceased was living with Kamau. Evidence was given by Roy Kaman. a iinfi\<\ who said he had known the floce.Kcd sinec she was a nmnll gir!. Wilries* denied there had been nny arrangement for the deceased to live with him, but she had stayed a night there, and after leaving the next day find returned and again stayed a night. Witness had been on very friendly terms with her. but there had been no intimacy between them. Witness said he hnd hoard of Mrs. Ah Sue taking poison once. There had been a row with witness' foster mother, and the deceased had taken (something which made her very si<*k.

Witness did not nee the deceased after she "Foft his whare on August 2S>. hut Bobby Martin, accompanied by Arthur and Violet Waterhouse, came to Jiia whare and gave him a good talking t<>. Martin had been wild, and had struck witness while he was lying in bed. telling him that if he interfered with Marjorie again he (Martin) would kill him. Watorhouse had pulled Martin off, and witness had escaped from the whare and rung the police at Taradale (five miles from Napier). When a policeman arrived at witness' whare the party Jiad gone. Poison Mentioned Before. Violet Waterhouae, half-sister of the deceased, said she knew the latter had gone to live with Kamau. On August 2!> witness had induced the deceased to return to her husband, and had taken her hack home. "She told me if she could not stay with Kamau she would take poison. She liad previously spoken of taking poison.'

Witness said that on the afternoon of August 29, Bobby Martin had arrived at her place with Ah Sue's truck. Martin had had a few beers, and there were five bottles in the truck. Witness and her husband went with Martin to Kamau's where, where Martin drank one bottle of beef, after which he started to fight with Kamau, who was in bed. Witness' husband separated them, and the party returned to Ah Sue's place. Martin drove all over the road, and witness and her husband left the truck and started to walk, as they were frightened of his driving. After they had walked about a mile they were overtaken by Martin and the deceased in the truck, and they yot back, continuing the trip. They arrived at Pakowhai, where Martin drank two more bottles of beer. The other* of the party were compelled to take some liquor, and then Martin picked a quarrel with witness' husband, - chasing him with a hayfork.

Ran to Neighbour. Martin then went inside and started to smash crockery and break things up, and her husband ran to a neighbour for help. Witness went to ring for the police, and when they returned Martin and the deceased had left. To Mr. Nuttall, witlincxs said that Martin, when under the influence of liquor, wns very bad tempered. Mr. Nuttall: Didn't he tell you that if your sifter persisted in living with Kainait lie would kill Kumau or her? Witness: Yes. Mr. Nuttall: And nfter the trouble at Pnkowhni lie told you something else? —Yes. He Buiid I would be the next. Witness said that she was afraid thnt if Martin had any more liquor something serious might happen. Jack Hapi said Martin had called at his house and had drunk half a bottle of beer. Martin had walked out carrying a bottle, and as he left had called out that he had Marjorie in the truck, end that she was dead. "There is no doubt that he was drunk." Rana Martin, sister of the deceased. Mid Bobby had arrived at her house and had called to witness, "Come s'iipkly, Darkie (Marjorie), is dead. Bobby told witness that Marjorie had jumped off the lorry. Was Quit* Sober. Witness said it took her ten minute* to persuade Bobby to ring the police. He was qnite sober, but wae arguing a little. She had asked Bobby if he had pushed Marjorie out of the truck, and lie hiul said he did not. Witness said her brother was very bad tempered, and the family was frightened of him when he had had drink. He had tried to stop them from telephoning the police, as he was ahaid ln< would "go up high." Martin hnd told witnws he_wa» taking Marjorie to Tikokino (near Waipawa) when the accident happened. He had said Marjorie *>aid she did not want to go to Tikokino. According to Martin, deceased had put her arm round Mβ neck, eaying, "I'll have your life," and had jumped off while the lorry wa* travelling about 30 mile* an hour.

and £ ♦ " he had driven on fnj? <t? ■ tO I PP T d and tun,ed *>*<•*< find " down jf S f - V .' ng ° n the road fate £»r ~nm lT yCd * qUa ' tcr of an nour nnt l hc waa eure ghc w fro,; I 1 th< " n lifted »er on to the front seat and drove to Tikokino. port«T"«? ifi t,mt thc tn,th was ex-fei\(-n b> JioLby Martin, aged 28. Coroner's Question. tiot fter an r w ' prin - ' l number of queet on. regarding evenU at Ah Sue's h0,.-e, i, H , W,W , a9ked b - v the eoro e; « • her he had fully understood Mr. remarks regarding perjury all Vljht " aill ' le haU th»n or , n "', ,tin " in;r I"" ovi,lp Martin denie<l ™r%» little of beer at KamauV vhare When the party had reached oL-Z ?°V ~P Si,k, ' W «terhouse had spoken to Kamaii timt, an<l then wit»"s had pu!l«H| Kamau out of bed. Jle admitted giving Kamau a "smack." After returning to Ah Sue's, witness «lf>e.ded to take Marjorie to Tikflkino, and he also wanted to take the Watermuses to Pakowhai. on the way, but hey deeded to walk. Witness denied t.iat u.ien they reached the Waterhouses homo he had taken a hayfork to \\ ntrrluiuec. Mr. Suttall: Who had the fork? \\itiie«s: Waterhouse had it. Di<l ho touch you with it?—l think so. rhore was a mark at the back of my neck. J Witness said that later he and Marjorie left the Waterhouses in the truck and after they had been travelling a little way he told her he was takin-' her to Tikokino. Marjorie had not spoken to him after that until she put her arm round his neck and «aid, "I'll do awav with your life." The next thinjr witnes" s ! knew she wa« pone from the truck, and the door was swinging. Put Her in Cab. Mr. Xuttall: So you can't tell irs whether she jumped'out of it or fell out 1 Witness: Xo. I can't. And you are quite sure you did not pii*h her out?—Xo, I am certain. Witness said that after waiting about a quarter of an hour he put the deceased into the cab of the truck and drove on. Hβ did not stop before he reached HapiV I lace at Tikokino. Witness denied that he was drunk when he reached Tikokino.

-Mr. Xnttall: Why did you drive f>s miles with your dead sister without calling in at any police station? Witness: I didn't know what to do. Witnese denied that his other sifter, Rana. had had to talk to him for 10 minutes before he would consent to ring the police. Mr. Xiittall: Why, after leaving the Waterhonees, didn't you go to Kamau's, or take Marjorie buck to Ah Sue'sT Witness: I changed my mind. Mr. Xuttall: You know that if you hadn't changed your mind she would be alive now?— Yes. I put it to you, Martin, that when you left the Waterhouses you were so much under the influence of liquor you didn't know what you were doing?—l wae not drunk at all. Medical Evidence. The Coroner: What would you say if a doctor declared your eister was not dead when you went back to pick her up?

Witness: She was dead, all right. There wasn't a movement. Do you think that if you were sober and your sister had any chance of life you would have rushed her away 55 miles to Tikokino? You are asking me, Martin, to believe that you are telling the truth, end that six other people are liare, and I find it very difficult. Medical evidence given by Dr. D. Y. Allen, of Waipawa, was to the effect that Marjorie Ah Sue had probably not died instantaneously, though that" fact would not necessarily be evident to a layman. Death would not necessarily have been inevitable, and there would have been a chance of her responding to treatment. The head injuries could liave caused death. Dr. C. .Raymond, of Waipukurau, agreed with the evidence of Dr. Allen. Arthur William W T aterhouse also described the events of the evening of Augiwt 29. He said he had heard Martin promise not to touch Kaman if Kamau would give Marjorie up. Witness heard Martin say, "I will murder one of the vet."

Witness said he was aware that Martin, when under the influence of liquor, said and did things he might not mean. Witness said that at his own house Martin had started an argument and had grabbed a hayfork and threatened witness with it. There we* a struggle and Martin got a scratch from the fork. Witness did not think Martin in a fit condition to drive the truck when he last saw him on that night. Detective-Sergeant Nuttall, in evidence, said he had made extensive inquiries, and had been unable to obtain evidence other than that Marjorie Ah Sue'* death was due to an accident. "There i» not evidence to support a foul play theory." The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. This morning Martin was arrested and charged with being in a state of intoxication while in cJharge of a car. He was remanded to appear at Napier next Monday.