MURDER TRIAL

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 68, 18 September 1917, Page 4

MURDER TRIAL

THE WAIRONGOMAI TRAGEDY

INKSTER IN THE DOCK.

(II TELBORAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIAIIOK.)

GISBOBNE, ,171 th .September.

At the Supreme Court Frank Inkster, alias Ed-ward Clayton, aged 174 years, was charged witli murdering Olive Andersen and Harvey Bradley, j»t Wairongamai, on 22nd July. Thl accused, who preserved the calm demeanour which characterised his appearance in the lower Court, pleaded not guilty. Mr. L. T. Burnard appeared for the defence, and Mr. F. ,W Nolan prosecuted for' the Crown. ... \

The Crown Prosecutor, in' opening, said the evidence submitted by the Crown was circumstantial, and would reflate to a chain of circumstances respecting the death of the two men, Andersen 'and Bradley. Four men, he proceeded, were employed at Wairongomai, 14 miles from Tuparoa Camp, and 12 miles from the. homestead. Andersen .-.and. Bradley • were mates and had' worked together lor | a couple of; years. . Keogh'was the'toreman,. and Inkster was the youngest of ' the party,, and had only..been on the station ten or twelve days before he-went, on itho job. The men were engaged cutting tracks for sheep to come through in the spring. Keogh' was in the habit of going ito the homestead every week-end. On 18th.;July three of the men went out shooting. Keogh was back first, and replaced his ammunition and rifle in the tent in the usual position, the rifle slung to the ridge-pole, and the ammunition in his bunk. When the party returned, Andersen, 'who had remained at the camp, produced ■■ a ■ watch which he had lost some time before, and which he had found in prisonei£s bunk. The prisoner said he got it.from a Native named Joe Pofcae, and Andersen asked if it was true that prisoner had stolen "a quid" from Potae. After this incident Andersen and the prisoner were not on speaking terms. Keogh left for the homestead according to custom on Saturday, and next day prisoner also arrived at the homestead, stating that Andersen intended' to leave, and had sent him for a pack-horse. Evidence would show there was no need for accused to have been sent down p) the homestead for a pack-horse, ac there were pack-horses in Mangaporo paddock, near the camp, and, further, Andersen had not the gear to carry on a packhorse. The inference the Crown wished them to take was that these men were shot on Sunday, 22nd July. Keogh returned ito the camp on the Monday, followed at some distance by the prisoner with a pack-horse. Kepgh found the bodies at the camp. Hurrying back to report the matter, he met accused at the Mangaporo paddock, and informed him that the two men in the camp were dead. Accused asked him where they were shot, apparently knowin" they were shot, thougli Keogh had not stopped to exam : me the bodies. That was his firs-t question. His next was, "Would they send for a doctor?" Later, before there was any suggestion of murder, accused said to Apouri, a Native packman, that if he(accused) was to fall into any trouble he could make himself comfortable with the contents of his portmanteau.- The remark was significant', in view of other remarks he had made. The accused was the first man to make any assertion as to there being four wounds in Andersen's body, and this when the post- . mortem examination was in progress, before anyone was aware of the number of wounds j Counsel proceeded .'to detail the prisoner's flight from the,homestead and subsequent capture. Dr. Davis gave formal medical evidence to show that Andersen was shot in four places, thr.ee of the wounds ,being such as would cause death, and Bradley in two places, both fatal wounds.' Michael Keog_h, one of the camp party, was gi-ving evidence on the lines of counsel's statement when the Court adjourned till to-morrow.