THE MAKARAKA MURDER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17986, 1 February 1924, Page 12

THE MAKARAKA MURDER.

DETAILS OF SCOTT'S ARREST. (ZTZCIAh TO '"THE P3ESS.") GISBOK.VE, January 31. Many years have elapsed since the public sense of tho community has been =o shocked as it was by the news of the outrage and murder of the little girl Gwendoline Kathleen Murray. It was therefore with an intense feeling of relief that the public learned to-day that an arrest had been effected by the police at Matawai, and that the individual had made admissions respecting both the outrage and the murder of the child.

Only those associated with the authorities are able to comprehend the great iniuss of conflicting information bearing on tho crime which it was thought might possibly bear upon the situation. Sundry individuals whose movements were regarded as being of a suspicious nature were the subject of close investigation, and the whole district extending as far as Te Karaka was combed out. In the process of eliminating the possibilities in the matter, swaggers who had been seen about the roads of the district came in for particular attention, and in this connexion a man who happened to call at a residence near the cemetery for food at the beginning of the week, was especially marked by vigilant officials and others in his progress towards the Bay of Plenty, and he it was who proved to be the man wanted. The arrest came with dramatic suddenness, and was the reward of vigilance, combined with the unusually active and voluntary co-operation of the

public. The story is tolcl 'with official brevity l>y Inspector Hutton. He states that, from information received from Matawai, Constable Williamson, of that district, was instructed to get in touch with a man whoso movements had been reported. The inspector and Detective McLeod meanwhile left town at 7.10 pjn. by car, and they, with the constable, got the man on a farm about a mile and a half beyond Matawai. "Ho was in a bad way," the inspector states, "and stated he was beside himself. Ho was tired out to the point of exhaustion. He said he had been hunted about from pillar to post, and that ho -wished, to 'throw in tho towel.' The man said ho wanted to

give himself up to the police, and ad-

aiitted both the outrage and the mar- " dor. Ho was arrested and charged with ■-i-h'i offences of outrage and murdci, aiid 'V :i3 brought under arrest to Gisborne." , . , . a KK t„mpft thfe Recused's admissioVifin thi> Possession of Inspector Hutton la not available for publication at ! this, stage. Inspector Hutton said he was satisfied that they had the right man. The statement of admission was all in order. The inspector explained that although such admissions had been made, the police were required to proceed with tho case in tho ordinary way, as if there were no such admissions. The police returned with the accused, reaching town, at 1.10 o'clock this tneming. He was duly searched and lodged in tho cells. *' JS'o, there was no spectacular arrest," remarked the inspector in response to further enquiries. "He was like a hunted beast, played out with exhaustion, and remained there completely doAe up, having had little or ho sleep or food, and generally knocked oiit. He said ho could not sleep." The Murder Charge. Robert Horbert Scott appeared hefore Mr E. C. Levvey, S.Al.j ~at the Magistrate's Court this morning, charged that, on January 28th, _ 103-1, he did commit murder by killing one Gwendoline Kathleen Murray. For is. considerable time before the commencement of tie hearing, the Court was packed to the doors. Inspector Hutton applied for a remand twrtil February Bth, in order that further enquiries coold be made. He might then require a further remand. . The accused was accordingly remanded until February Bth. Dressed in dark grey clothes, unshaven. and looking somewhat ragged " and unkempt, the accused did not look so evil as nis confession shows him to he. He was still wearing the white sho<fc which played such an important part- in tho case. The feeling of the general public was apparent by the hostile reception which greeted the accused on his being taken from tho Courthouse, escorted by a number of policemen. He was taken to the back gate the Court buildings, where a motorcar was waiting. His appearance .'■the (signal few hoots and murmie'jt'irom the lange crowd whioh liad gathered round the gate, but he was placed in the car and taken safely away. Asked as to the probable date of the hearing of the char go, Inspector Hutton states that teho "police ,axe (required to proceed with the case as if there were n» admissions. The whole of the available evidence will require to be collected and the case prepared in the usual way. The evidence of identification will be required to be completed, and the absence of Deteotive McLeod on other police work at Auckland and elsewhere may hinder the work. Meanwhile accused will be detained cn remand until the police are prepared to proceed, probably in three weeks' time. j

Th,e Inspector added that a number of expert officers were coming to Gisborne from outside, including Auckland and Wellington, bnt in view of the arrest of Scott most of these had been intercepted. Something about Scott. The accused man, Robert Herbert Scott, is 33 years of age. He is about sft 7in in height, has thin, sharp features, sallow complexion, fair hair brushed back, and about a couple or three days' growth of beard. Hie was wearing a dark grey 6nit, with faded brown felt hat, black band, and white shoes with rubber coles. It is understood that he belongs to Canterbury and that both his parents are dead. He had been in Hicka Bay working, but found work thero slack. He endeavoured to get a job on the snlrnge D f t } lo stcjtnvor iCi-fc Elliot, font was unstio* cessful, consequently be decided to comfv to Crisborno, and after obtaining | a lift part of the way, reached town j on Sunday. He is believed to have left his swag at Mnkaraka, and to have oome .into town on Monday. He had little or no money in his possession, and it is understood he had intended to go flut to the "Waipaoa_ freezing works to endeavour to obtain employment there. Following Up tie Fugitive. In the light of subsequent events, many of the suggested clues that were bro"Oght forward proved to be quito misleading but most valuable information wan furnished to the police by Mr J. X Keanc, the Cook County Engineer,.

respecting the suspicious movements of | a stranger. Mr Keane had occasion to visit the Ormond district on Tues- I day afternoon, where he went to view I the carting of metal on to the Ngakaroa road, near Mr "W. Graham's. Hero he happened to mention the day's sensation to Mr Malone, who was engaged in carting operations. Mr Malone promptly remarked upon the unusual movements of a stranger who had dropped down upon them whilst they were sitting- on the roadside having the xnidday snack. They did not see the stranger actually come from the hills, but looked up to see-him walking towards them. He stated that he had come from Hicks Bay, and was making for the' freezing works at Waipaoa. He told them he had got lost, and had struck in over the hills from the Maori Pa at "vVaihirere the previous (Monday) night. lie said he .had i slept out in the scrub that night, and | had come across a man and a lad in j a whare, where he had had a drink of j tea. Instead of following the main ; road, the man had made for the hills, . and taken a very rough and circuitous route. ® I

A remarkable coinc'ulence was the fact that it was known to the police that there were two men of an unkempt appearance and of erratic movements roaming the countryside. Both these men, singular to state, were wearing white shoes, and they had actually crossed each other's tracks. This no doubt led to confusing reports being received, and but for this, it is quite possible the accused man would have been arrested on Tuesday night before he had got much further than Kaiteratalii.

Meanwhile, further leports reached the police from Matawai and Hexton regarding the movements of a strange individual in that locality, and this led to the apprehension yesterday of a Maori on a charge of vagrancy. Singularly enough, he was wearing white shoes, but the police readUy satisfied themselves that this man was in no way connected with the Makaraka crime. Subsequent enquiries revealed that the second stranger in the white shoes left Te Karaka yesterday morning just after daylight. The next ■ startling development in tlie case was an urgent telephone message from Matawai last evening, and tho subsequent arrest of the accused man. Scott was seen, in Matawai between 4 and 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and while there he asked ins way to tho nearest police station. He was told that the nearest station was at Motu and he expressed the intention of going there. At a quarter to six ho appeared on a. settler's station, about a milo and a half on the Motu side of Matawai. He told the settler that he had committed the murder and that he wanted to''give himself up. Tho settler then got into communication with Matawai, whence the information was telephoned to the Gisborno police station. The Mofcu__station was also communicated with and Constable TV illiamson was the 'first to arrive on the scene a.t 8.40 p.m. The Gisborno car with Inspector Huttonr and Detective McLeod on hoard arrived at Matawai and shortly after that they reached the settlor's house. Wh.sn the accused reached the settler's bryvtse he knocked at the door and asked whether they were connected by tele-phone-with Gisborno. He was told that they were, and he asked tho farmer to ring up the police and say that the man who committed tho murder was there. This request was immediately complied with and both the_ Gisborne and Motu stations were notified.

The accused appeared to be labouring under great emotion, and looked terribly dejected and miserable. He could, in fact, hardly speak, and it appeared that the knowledge of his dreadful deed was haunting him. Tho 6ettler gave him a cup of tea and then they awaited the coming of the police. Scott was recently employed at the Gisborne Shoepfarmers' .Frozen Meat Co.'s works afc'Hicks Bay. He worked there about a. month and left Hicks Bay eight days ago. Ho was a casual worker in tho fellmongery department. He left tho works of his own accord, although there was still work obtainable. Scott is stated by the men to have been employed in various - freezing works and felimongeries all through New Zealand. Ho was a. good worker. He is a single man, as far as is known. It was nnderstood that hi 3 father lived at Palmerston North, but the men are not sure on this point.