PUKEKAWA MURDER

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 113, 9 November 1920, Page 4

PUKEKAWA MURDER

THE CHIEF JUSTICE'S REMARKS,

(BX TELEQRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Bth November

In the course of his charge to the Grand Jury in the Supreme Court this morning on the various indictments presented for their consideration, his Honour the Chief Justice- made special reference to the case in which Samuel John Thorn was accused of iiaving murdered Sydney Seymour Eyre ut Pukeka-wa on 25th August. Addressing the Grand Jury, his Honour said that the evidence would show that Eyre did not commit suicide, but must have been killed by a shot through tho window fired by a lefthanded man. Thorn, the accused man, it appeared, had been carrying on, with Mrs. Eyi\j, and be had not denied her statement to that effect. According to the evidence, he was anxious that Eyre should be put out of the way, evidently having an attachment for Mrs. Eyre. After reviewing other points in the case, his Honour read certain evidence of alleged statements by Thorn, which the Judge said implied that Thorn was present and saw the murder, or that he knew who committed the murder; yet he did not choose fco give an explanation of why he made those utterances. He might do so when he', came before the jury. . "Gentlemen/ * concluded the Judge, "if that was not an admission, I da not know what an admission is.'*