KARERE TRAGEDY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1932, Page 10

KARERE TRAGEDY

DECKE'S TRIAL OPENED

MURDER OF E. J. BLAKEWAY

CROWN CASE OUTLINED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

PALMERSTON N., This Day.

Tho hearing commenced in tho Supreme Court to-day, before His Honour Mr. Justice Ostler, jf the case in which Norman Eobert Decke, aged 19, a farm hand, of Fitzherbert, is charged with the murder at Karere on or about 23rd August, of Edwin John Blakoway, .1 cyclist, who was found doad on the roadside as the result of bullet wounds.

Fifteen jurors wero ordered to stand aside by the Crown Solicitor, and fivo by counsel for tho accused.

Tho Crown Solicitor spent a considerable time this morning addressing the Court on the case for the Crown and tho evidence to bo brought. Outlining his case, the Crown Prosecutor described the finding of tho body and tho discovery on a subsequent examination of four bullet wounds, and the finding of live and empty shells at the roadside at Karere, whore tho body was found. The three principal persons in the case, he said, were Miss Betty Meehan, Blakcway, and Decke. There was a mutual attraction between Miss Meehan and Blakoway, who wero to havo been married last December. Dcekc first met Miss Mehan on Anzac Day, 1930, and frequently visited her. He fell desperately and terribly in love, as letters would disclose. She was friendly, but preferred Blakeway, and made that plain; and the Meehan family did not approve of Decke as a suitor. Decke and Blakeway were the merest acquaintances. Later, said counsel, Docke wrote to Miss Meehan, saying: "I have decided definitely not to let Ted marry you. I will stop him., even if it is the last thing I do." Couivscl contended that a plain motive wws there. Ho also alleged Decke mad c other threats to Miss Meehan again* ;t Blakcway, and in June he wrote to ha,-: "This is probably the last letter I will ever write to you, not becauso I want it to be, but because I cannot do anything else under the circumstances." In July Dceke purchased a rifle.

The Crown Solicitor said that Bla kcway left Miss Median on tho oven in" of 23rd August at 11.15 o'clock. hat was the last, time ho was soon alive.

After detailing Decke's movcm cuts on the night of x tho tragedy, coa nsel stated that the pblice sifted the 1 oadside at the scene of the tragedy- and found two bullets. Experts would say that the shells of the bullets -j.-hicli killed Blakeway were fired from a particular Walther riflo and from cartridges of a particular brand. The1 exports, were of the opinion that the. ammunition was fired from Drake's riflo because of a particular injury on the rim of the barrel.

The Crown Solicitor, concludh lg an address of two hours' duratiotn, submitted that tho crime could (July be murder. So far Decke had sel; up an alibi. If he did commit the a rime it must have been premeditated.

The Court adjourned to 3 p.m. to enable the jury to inspect all t&,e localities concerned in the case.