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Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 83, 8 April 1943, Page 6

nd utivib, wiiu was cl The following morning Davis tried to persuade his father not to enlist. His father wanted to leave the house, but Davis held him back. Later his mother was rubbing liniment on the head of Davis, who had had a bad turn, when witness' father entered the kitchen from the l bedroom and then went outside, taking a rifle with him. Through a window witness watched "his father, who was in a . bad mood, climb a hill at the rear of their home. Shortly afterwards witness saw him at the bedroom ■ window. His father aimed the rifle at Davis, who had gone out to converse with him. He told Davis not to come closer. Davis returned to the house. Witness' father then broke the kitchen window. Bullet Through Wall Returning to the bedroom, witness heard a rifle shot, a bullet going through a wall while Davis stood at a window. Witness then gave Davis several shotgun cartridges. While Davis was loading the gun another shot sounded. Witness saw Davis at the window and heard the shotgun fired, followed by another shot frcm the rifle and a second from the shotgun. He could not see at what Davis was firing. Shortly afterwards he saw his father two chains from the house bleeding about the neck. To Mr. L. A. Johnson, for Davis, witness said that Davis had not been drinking, and he did not think his father had. His father fired twice before Davis opened fire. Breaking the kitchen window, he saw Davis inside, and fired a shot without aiming. Davis started to groan, but witness knew he was only pretending, and warned Davis that he would be shot if he was not careful. "Davis dropped out of sight, and I fired at where he had been standing, not intending to hit him. Then seeing him with a shotgun, I walked away from the house for about a chain. I then heard the only shot 1 was conscious of. I do not know who fired it. I called Sydney to come out, as I was iust about done and losing blood. I told them to bring the shotgun out, and I would drop the rifle. This was done. Both Apologised "Davis and I both apologised. Both of us cried and we were very sorry." To Mr. Johnson witness said 'he , would have considered himself in danger if he was in Davis' position. Witness fired the first two shots. Koni Thompson said that on re- 1 turning from a Home Guard parade ' on , March 13 he found his stepnephew, Davis, who had served in Greece, Crete and Libya, in the house, and that his pakeha wife had 1 ?one to Russell, where he located ' her under the name of Davis. On her 1 return with him, both she and Davis denied association. 1 Argument was prolonged into the next morning, when witness asked ' Davis to leave. Davis then threw witness into a bedroom. Witness ■ made up his mind to frighten him : out. Reaching through a window he j took his Home Guard rifle and ten , rounds of ammunition. He was per- . suaded to return to the house by . some of his six children. He met Davis. "His eyes were sticking out, . and he frightened me," Thompson ; continued. "I pointed the rifle loaded j and cocked at him and told him to , ccet to hell out of it. Davis ran into ( the house. I called my wife, but she ( would not come. I only wanted to < talk to her." Violent Quarrels The next witness, Mary Thompson, 1 said that following violent quarrels with her husband, who could talk of ( nothing but military training, she walked to Russell, giving her name • as David, not Davis, en route, but. booking in at an hotel under her I correct name. Returning with her ° husband, an all-night quarrel ensued. r She Avas treating Davis for a war = injury when her husband went out with the shotgun. They followed, trying to persuade him not to use v the weapon. Returning to the house Iwith Davis, she got under a bed. . fearing her husband's temper, and heard shots. Her husband had been calling for her and her son to go out to him. After he dropped the rifle she shook hands with him, and Davis washed blood from his face and neck wounds. She denied improper relationship with Davis. (Proceeding)