TAIHAPE MURDER

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 26 January 1924, Page 8

TAIHAPE MURDER

FURTHER EVIDENCE

WIDESPREAD TRACES OF

BLOODSHED

(IT lILBOKAPH — FRES9. ASIOCIATIOK.)

_ TAIHAPE, This Day. > The hearing of evidence in connection with the charge of murder against Anthony Moghan was continued.

Cyril Nicholls, whose car wa-engag- sed by the police, corroborated the evidence of Moghan'a surrender, and his admission of having killed Gemmell. He also stated that Gemmell's H ace wa s covered with wounds; there was no skin underneath the chin, the nose looked as if it was broken, and the upper part o: the body was covered with marks. Moghan appeared perfectly sober, and showed no sign of having been fighting. Sergeant Matthews, stationed at Taihape, stated that on the morning of'3rd January he received a message that a man had been killed at Moghan's farm, and with Constable Gerraghty he proceeded by motor-car to the farm, picking up Robert Riley on the way. On his arrival the accused came from the direction of his house and said: "I give myself in charge. I killed him. Riley' had nothing to do with it." He called m^ 'A Irishbred mongrel." I struck him with my fist." He held out his hands for the handcuffs and was handcuffed by Constable Gerraghty. The constable, Riley, Moghan, and witness then walked towards the house. He saw the body of a man lying on the grass a few/ yards from the verandah, near a lilad tree. He did not know at the time whose body it was, and asked Moghan, who replied "Gemmell." The body was clad only in trousers and. stockings, and the trousers produced were on the upper part of the body and the head was covered with some sacking. The witness described numerous severe injuries which he noticed, and also, bloodstains on tie grass'and on the verandah, which appeared as if the body had lain there. He gave . instructions for a doctor to be sent for, and shortly afterwards Dr. Hay arrived.

While waiting for the doctor, he examined the house; and on the floor at the bottom- of the kitchen door, found a patch of blood. On the dining-room floor, between the open fireplace and Gemmell's room, were some bloodstains which; appeared to have had water, throMrn on them, and to have been swept1 towards the, fireplace. In GemmeU's room the bed was disordered, and the bedding was bloodstained. There were splashes ( - of blood on "two of the walls, the side of the bed, and the head of the' bed, and some of the blood splashes were within twelve inches of the cejling, which was five feet above^ the top of the bed. On the floor towards the door there were more bloodstains, and there were also more bloodstains at the foot of the bedroom door. Dr. Hay arrived and made a- careful examination of the body, after which the body was removed to the hospital morgue. Witness and Constable Gerrahty returned ta the house and made; a further examination. In Moghan's room they found a heavy pair of'working boots, which were bloodstained on the toes, soles, and heels. There was a pair of blood-stained trousers and a blood-stained shirt, and these articles and a tuft of human hair found, had been in his possession ever since; except when being analysed. He searched for any weapons likely to have inflicted the wounds but failed to find any. At the police station, Moghan said he would like to1 make a.statement in writing, and he made the following statement: "I, Anthony Moghan, of Rau-1 kura, farmer, wish to make the following statement: —A man named R. G. Riley,; who is employed by me, informed me yesterday that the deceased Gemmell and a Maori named John Jackson, commonly known as Maori Jack, had planned to kill me. GemmeU was in my house at the time, and Riley and I came from the cowshed, and on entering the kitchen Gemmell called me 'A Irishbred mongrel.' He made this statement several times, and then rushed ut me. I guarded and struck him with my fist: He struck me first, and I hit him x in self-defence. He hit me twice oh the chest. This happened early in the afternoon. I had paid Gemmell off on Ist January, 1924. He refused to leave the place. Later in the evening Riley and I found Gemmell lying on the ground in front of my house. Hj was insensible, and we tried to bring him round, but he did not come round. I sent Riley to. ring up for the police and the doctor. He went to Banks's place to ring up, but he was away. He then went away, and I told him to go into Taihape and inform the police and the doctor." Moghan added that he would not say more until he had seen his solicitor, and ' that he (Moghan) would not bring his wife into this. ■ "

Wnen arrested, the clothing Moghan was wearing was bloodstained, and it was sent for analysis.' When Moghan niet witness at the gate he appeared Vto be in a normal state- Riley was wildly excited, and apparently, suffering from liquor and shock. Gemmell, who was a married man and came from Auckland, had one child. He had worked in the district for some time, formerly at the freezing works. ,-. ■ ■ .-■■-;

Constable Gerraghty corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. When they were bringing Moghan and Riley into.the lock-up, Moghan said, "I killed him. Riley had nothing to do with it. I struck him with my fists in self-defence, didn't I, Bob?" No one answered, and d. little later he repeated the statevnent.Eiiey replied, "I cannot say wtather1 you struck him or not. If you did, you will have to put up with the consequences." ■ . ■

Dr. H. M. Hay gave evidence as to the injuries which he found on the body When he received a telephone message from the police asking him to examine it in front, of Moghan's house. There were three wounds over the eyebrows, a wound over the root of the nose, disclosing a fractured nasal bone; and two wounds on the right side of the upper lip; and a large area of skin was missing from the point of. the chin. There was also a deep wound in front of the right ear. Behind the left ear was a wounti 4 4^ inches long, running horizontally about two inches; above this was another wound two inches long, behind the ear, and behind this again Were three small wounds, each an inch long. The upper jaw on the right side was fractured, and there was a fracture -of the lower jaw at the left angle. There wero small circular bruises over the. front part of the arms and shoulders, and on other parts of the body. One of the bones of the right forearm was broken about an inch from the wrist. Internally there was a large radiating fracture of the left occipital bone of the skull.. There were also other fractures which he detailed. The abdomen was bruised. In his opinion death was due to shock from hemorrhage caused by the fracture of the skull. Some of tho other injuries would have been sufficient to causo death.

At this stage the Court adjourned till 7.30 p.m.