MURDER CHARGE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20306, 4 August 1931, Page 12

MURDER CHARGE.

WOMAN DIES FROM KNIFE WOUND. MAORI STANDS HIS TRIAL. (I'RESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, August 3. The trinl oF Pahara Rameka Kcro (George Rameka), aged 39, on a charge of murdering Gwendoline Alice Johnson on the morning of Juno 21tli, opened in the Supremo Court to-day before Mr Justice Smith-. The Crown Prosecutor (Mr Meredith) and Mr McCarthy conducted the case for Iho Crown. Mr appeared for the prisoner. Mr Meredith, in his opening address, traversed the facts brought out at the Lower Court hearing, which began on July Kith. He said that Mrs Johnson and her daughter, Queenio Rose Lawrence, passed as sisters. An acquaintance sprang up at a dance betwocii tho accused aiul Mrs Johnson. Latei, when she was ill, he frequently visited her, and appeared to Oecomo infatua*Mr Meredith said tho Crown would submit that a letter written by tho accused would show that he had m mind somo injury to Mrs Johnson, to be followed by suicide. Regarding any suggestion of provocation, Mr Meredith said there was no provocation to iustify reducing the charge to one or manslaughter. Mrs Johnson was perfectly entitled to terminate the acquaintanceship. It was an ordinary case, not infrequent, of an infatuateu man, inflamed by jealousy, who rather than accept tiis dismissal by a woman would sacrifice her and himself. Queenio llose Lawrence, daughter ot Mrs Johnson, described what happened on the morning of tho murder. Crosstixamined, she said her mother and accused were not very much in love. Mrs Lucy Keesing, with whom the woman and her daughter lived, said it seemed to her that Rameka was a friend 'of tho family and interested in thorn all. . , Mr Noble: Pretty closo fricndsP—>o more than ordinary A question with reference to ncr experience of men led witness to retort: "I have had no experience of men. I have only had one husband, an a from what I see of men I do not want anv more." . Asked whether she had tried to stop Rameka poisoning himself, witness said: "If a man wants to poison himself. let him do it by all means. J wo"ld not stop any man." , The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.