THE ALLEGED MURDER AT KAIWARRA.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7359, 11 July 1889, Page 5

THE ALLEGED MURDER AT KAIWARRA.

[PBSS3 ASSOCIATION T3LBSBAH.}

W ELLINGTON, July 10.

Mary Hawkins, wife of the murdered man, gave similar evidence to that in the lower Court She telegraphed to Ledin, who lived at Foxton, to come and attend Hawkins , funeral, because they were great friends. There was no quarrel between them. George Bowles and her husband had some words over sheep, but never quarrelled!

Cross-examined—Some 200 sheep were brought from Bowies' place to her husband. The latter paid for them. They were not brought down to protect Bowlee while he went through the Bankruptcy Court, and Bowles never applied to get them back. It was untrue that Hawkins ever said in the presence of witness , mother that the first time he met Bowles he trould shoot him like a dog. None of her family ever quarrelled. She never took her brother's part, because there was no row. She never had much to do with her husband's business. Ledin was invited down on her husband's flftieth birthday because they were great friends. They did not part bad friends. She heard of a person named James Nairn, a neighbor, but wa3 not aware that he and her husband had a quarrel. No land occupied by her husband was ever given over to Nairn. They never had disputes about land. She was aware that a person named ,D. Hot»l>s Treat to law with he* , ; husband over some land, but did not know of a dispute between her husband and Tyer. She knew Thomas Harlen, a tenant of her husband's; they never had a row over the non-payment of rent. She not know of a row which occurred be l - tween her husband and Bowles. There was a slight disagreement between them. She was not surprised when her husband had not arrived from town by seven o'clock. Could not say what induced her to keep Bowles from going to look for him. Bowles eventually did go. Her husband never had a row with persons poaching, bat he objected to persons . shooting on his property. lie-examined by Mr Bell—She was never on bad terms with her husband. F. W. Ledmdeposed that he was a Finlander. As he was engaged on the naxmills near Foxton. He had known Hawkins for ;sdme years, and went to his birthday patty on lGth April last.: The letter asking him to come was written' by Hawkins, and. there were a few lines ; written by one of; the children. He i stopped there two days. Hβ- went there: on Easter Monday, and wished him, " Good-bye." Witness stopped in town for several days. He never ; had any row or difference with Hawkins at that or ; any othe"r time. Mrs Hawkins never wcofe i to. witness. The letter in question was written by Mr Hawkins. It was not. true that Hawkins told him to leave the house | and i.never return. The letter could be produced by sending for his bos'. At the ■ Hawkins , murder witness was at; Foxton... :'.'.' . " i By Mr Bunny-r-Was always on excellent j terms with the deceased. . ■ John Tucker, a laborer, deposed to hearing a conversation between prisoner, and. Harlen in reference to land the formerhad leased front Hawkins. The prisoner said j Hawkins , wanted to do him the same as he tacl others. Witness said to Chemis,; " JDo you think he will get the better; -of you.",- Prisoner f replied—" If the —— r fixes mc 111 fix him so that he will not get; away with any one else." Witness asked if it was any use asking Hawkins for a job. Prisoner replied, " Don't go and: work with that son of a —-—: I wouldn't i work for the——." ■ \,

By Mr Bunny—This conversation .occurred last Christmas, ..He never thought anything of it. He would swear that the; oonv,eisui.tjon did take place. _: -i-- '■'- jSntnii-Hartes^wife at VF: Harleny living! at Khandallah, remembered seeing the I prisoner about Christmas. He came to see about some papers in connection with land leased from Hawkins, as they might be of some use to him in his law case with Hawkins. She saw Tucker (the last witness) on this occasion. I She had known him for thirteen years. .

By Mr Bunny—Her husband leased land from Hawkins. They iiever had a row. On two occasions Hawkins summoned for rent, but the cases were settled out of court.

William Hunn, fellmonger, deposed that the miner's right, picked up in the vicinity of the murder, was taken out and lost by him, but where and when he could i not cay. Stephen W. Green deposed to picking ■up two pieces of the Post of November: 17th near the scene of the crime.

Mr Bell explained that the importance of this evidence was that these pieces fitted a torn copy of the Post found in Chemie' house.

Peter Joseph was not examined by the Crown.

ByMrDevine —On the evening of May ,3lst, about five o'clock, he was coming from Khandallah railway station to Kaiwarra by a short cut over the when he saw a man carrying a gun, but not accompanied by a dog. Approaching the track from the left he passed on ahead of witness, •and near Kaiwarra left the track towards the left and disappeared into a clump of stunted bush. This was about ten minutes past five. He took the direction of Hawkins'- land. He did not Know who the man was. Hawkins' house was visible from the! summit of the track, but not from any other point. He could swear that Chemis was not the man he saw.

By Mr Bell—He told Detective Benjamin this about a, fortnight ago, and told James Flaws on Sunday, June 2nd. The latter was a laborer in the Kaiwarra Tannery, and they visited the scene of the murder together the day previous to reporting the matter to the police. He told his employer, Mr 'Pompret, who insisted that he should tell the police at once. Asked to describe the • man he saw, witness said he was of medium height and wore a dark coat, light trousers, .and grey tweed hat. At the nearest point to witness the man was about 100 yds away. There is a track-leading from the place where the man disappeared to Barber's ,slaughter-hou3e. He could not say whether ifc wa3 the most direct way to the slaughter-house. When he firet saw the man he was, as near as he could judge, earning from the direction of Hawkins' house. He had. known .Chemis about six years. The stranger's gun waa doublebarrelled, but he could nob say whether it was a breech or muzzle loader. He did not see his face, and so far as he could tell he had never seen him before. Cecilia Phillips, housemaid at the Bainbow Hotel, Kaiwarra; knew the prisoner, also his wife, and knew O'Dowd, prisoner's wife's brother. She remembered taking a walk with him the-night after the murder. O'Dowd was living at Mrs Greeves'. She made the appointment with him in the morning. His manner was the same as usual. William Skey. Government Analyst, deposed that he* had examined tn'e dagger produced, but found no traces of blood. Examined some paper, which bore traces of blood. He examined some paper which bore traces of gunpowder. By Mr Bunny—found no blood either on the dagger or the sheath. He had the dagger. If it had been used for stabbing purposes the blood could be easily removed with ■warm water. H. Norman—Was a laborer in the employ of Hawiins at the time of the murder. Bemembered the night of the murder. The cart came home without Hawkin3. Witness then went down the road to look for him. Hβ went to bed about midnight. S. Bradford, Government Armourer, corroborated his previous evidence. By Mr Bunny —Had been in the employ of the Government for twenty-six years as armourer. Prom his examination of the gun he was of opinion that one barrel had been fired off before the other, but could fix no date of difference. He conld swear that both barrels were not fired off on the same day; it would be easy to load empty cases for breech-loaders with ordinary paper instead of wade. Witness produced

a couple of cases so loaded withpapw. Of course these could only be used ia a breechloader-. By Mr Bell—Had discussed the question with many people. The cartridges produced were loaded with coal .dust, not powder, and common paper. He always used wads. The Court rose at 6 p.m. until 10 tomorrow morning.