SHOCKING AFFAIR

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 12

SHOCKING AFFAIR

THE DARGAVILLE TRAGEDY

MIDNIGHT DISCOVERY

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DARGAVILLE, 22nd March. Further details of the tragedy at Te Wlfarau, near Dargaville, make it evident that it was a case of murder and suicide of a determined kind. The victims are Mrs. Maisie Walker, 35 years of age, the white wife of Matthew Waaka Te Huia (Matthew Walker), a well-known resident of the district, and Hokaia, known as Teddy Nathan, a Maori lad of 16 years, nephew of Te Huia. Te Huia, on discovering the bodies, went for the police, and Sergeant Griffiths, Constable Nield, and Dr. Crump immediately proceeded with him to the scene, where they found the woman Ij'ing face down on the floor with a gunshot wound between her shoulder blades, and the boy on the sofa with a double-barrelled shotgun from which two shots had been fired, and the top of his head blown off. At daybreak the bodies were removed by the police to the morgue. The shot that killed the woman was fired at short range, as the marks of the blackened powder were plainly visible on her dress. Detective De Norville, of Whangarei, arrived later in the day to help in the inquiries that were being made. No motive for the tragedy can be advanced, and the whole thing came as a great shock to the community, as • the parties interested were all well known in the town, where they were frequent visitors. In company with the Coroner, Mr.1 J. A. M'Lean, Sergeant Griffiths, Detective De Norville, and a representative of the Press visited the scene of the tragedy, the house consisting of a bedroom, sitting-room, kitchen, and scullery combined, situated at Te Wharau, Awakino, four miles from Dargaville, and standing back off the load some considerable distance. On the game_ section an old age pensioner lives in a whare about fifty yards away from where the tragedy occurred, but he informed the police that he did not hear any shots on Saturday afternoon. He said he was away a part of the afternoon. ' „ . j. Mrs. Brenstrum, who lives about three-quarters of a mile away from To Huia's, said that between 1.30 and 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon she heard a shot, and about seven minutes later she heard a second shot, but thought it was someone shooting rabbits. The dead boy's mother lives in a house about a mile away. The kitchen where the tiagedy occurred is very small. From where the murdered woman's body was found on the floor it looked as though she was trying to escape through the scullery window, which was open. There must have been three shots fired altogether, as a large hole in the roo! shows where a whole charge went through. The third, with which the boy killed himself, sent shot through the iron roof of the kitchen, shot-holes being seen everywhere. There was no sign of a struggle, and everything in the house was in its proper place. INQUEST OPENED. ' At the inquest, which opened to-day and adjourned, Matthew Te Huia, husband of the deceased woman, gave evidence that he left home shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday. When he left his wifo was in good health and spirits, and according to arrangements intended to come to town later in the afternoon and meet her husband. The boy Nathan was also supposed to' come to town, and bring Te Huia's horse for him to ride home- at night. Neither his wife or Nathan turned up. Te Huia played billiards nearly all the afternoon, and looked for his wife till 8.30 o 'clock. Then he went to the pictures, leaving for home shortly after 11 o 'clock, arriving at his residence at about. 1 a.m. His house was in darkness, and he saw the horse in the paddock which should have been brought into town for him to go home with. He put the animal out in a paddock, and then went to the house and knocked at the front door, but got no answer. This door was locked, but the back one was open. Ha called out to his wife, but getting no answer he lit a match and went inside tho kitchen, where he found his wife dead on the floor, and his nephew dead on* the sofa with a discharged gun between his legs. After making sure they were dead, he went away and rou3cd two neighbours, borrowed a horse, rode to town, and informed tho police. . His wife and nephew were good friends, and always had been. His wife never made any complaint to him about the conduct of his nephew. His wife was either 34 or 35 years of age, and her birthday was on Saturday. They had been married about twelve years, and had always lived happily. He thought that his nephew was 16 years of age on Sunday, but ho was not sure. A gun and belt of cartridges were hanging on the wall in the kitchen when he left home. He had no enemies, and his wife had no bad friends as far as he knew. He did not have any reason to think there was anything between his wife and his nephew, who was a very quiet boy. There was nothing wrong with him mentally. He could give no reason why his nephew should shoot his wife or any other person. • Dr. Crump gave evidence as to the nature of the wounds, and the result of the post-mortem. The wounds on the body were consistent with the boy shooting himself. It was possible for another person to have inflicted the wounds, but not probable. It could have been done if two men had a scuffle for the gun, but there was no sign of a struggle. The woman had been shot in tho 1 aclc at short range, and it was not possible for her to have inflicted the' wound herself. Both had been dead several hours when found. The inquest was adjourned till tomorrow. v ,J4sk