The Poverty Bay Murder.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5887, 19 July 1890, Page 3

The Poverty Bay Murder.

fi'KH I'EKSS ASSOCIATION.]

OisjioKifß, Last nigh

The bo Jy of Robert Streeter was brought on a puck-horse from the place of its discovery along a fearfully rough rjud to tbe Whaiiatiitu" Hotel, thirty-fix milcH from hero. Dr. Innes conducted tho jmsi morion examination, unci Mr Booth, li.M., held thu inquest. Air W. L. Rues appeared for tho prisoner and Mrs Streoter. Constable Law said that ho and a party of natives tot out out ou Wednesday morning to search for the aeceasod's body. They were only twenty minutes searching before they found the body. They went in 11 direction indicated by one of the men from the camp an the place where Black had left a spade. Witness :uid party found tho spin, v.lii'.'h looked like a fireplace m;i.de for boiling a billy. Looked about, sind (ami! iiOroH.i a man's feet. Witness tlititi dug deeper into tlii! hide of the hill and ciiinu ncross a mini's bony jammed in anyhow, with sticks and earth to cover it up. Pγ. limes depo-ed that the body shown t 1 ) him as the oni.' that was found by tho lit*-!, witness was fully dressed, except that \ U bad not v hat. 'i'be uluthinsf was blooJ- ; htiiinod. Thi) bacieim which liad been i placed over tho b'dy were al«i blood - j stiiiufd. Tberu was a hole bohind the right ; ear three inclu'.-i by two. Tho skull was ; fractured int'i runny pie-.jcs. Th.;ro was no I mark i.t' powder around the wound, but on ' Marching the brain found pellet shot, and

several fragments of gravel. Tho body was healthy. Considered the wound was caused by a shot from a gun. The charge passed through tho head and came out at the left temple. Elizabeth Streeter gave evidence. She stated that the body wus that of her husband. Last saw him alivo fivo months ago. Arthur Parkinson and Frank Macdonald also identified the body as that of Streeter. No further evidence was called, and the jury returned a verdict that the deceased was murdered by a gun-shot wound, but there was no evidence to show by whom it was inflicted.

Black will be brought before a Magistrate on Monday. The body was a ghastly, revolting , spectacle. The trunk was in fairly good condition. The head, however, was a mass of corruption, and the wounds made it the more sickening to look at. The whole face had been flattened in, and the features wero indistinguishable. The coroner, police, prisoner, and witnesses had a rough trip to Whakatutu, the rivers being high in flood and tho roads very bad. This morning tho prisonoi . Black was taken to view the body. Immediately he entered the room the police sergeant asked him, "Do you know who that is f" Hβreplied, " Yes, Robert Streeter." Those were the only words that have fallen from him, otherwise he has throughout maintained a taciturn, stolid demeanor.