THE POVERTY BAY TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 10691, 2 August 1898, Page 4

THE POVERTY BAY TRAGEDY

GISBOUNE, ArcrsT 1. The closing scenes of the Motu tragedy were totally unexpected. Fromthestatements made by JDetective Benjamin and Sergeant Black it appears that Joseph Smith undoubtedly " funked" the possibility of arrest. Beyond the fact of finding cartridges with wads and shot similar co those found ia the body of J. K. Siott, tho murdered man, the detective and sergeant found absolutely no clue nor any evidence to connect Smith with the murder of Scott. It ia undoubted, however, that the two men had words over M'Cullough's section. l?)th Smith's and Soott's sections are at present bare of feed. The question of sulli'jient pasturage was one of equal importance to both men. Smith considered that as he had paid for the grass sejd on the section for some years he had first claim on it. When and where the quarrel between the two men, which ended fatally to both, took place is uot known, and probably will ever remain a mystery. One of the peculiar things noticed by the sergeant and detective wheD they went to Motu with Smith was that whilst other settlers in the district were profuse and ready with suggestions as to the cause of the murder and the probable murderer, Smith maintained a stolid silence, and only answered questions put to him, acd that with signs of reluctance. Last Tuesday Detective Benjamin and Sergeant Black, with Smith, who accompanied them at their request, left Karaka for Motu. They arrived at Smith's whan at dark the same night. Smith made tea and gave them a shake-down for the night. Next morning the detective quietly intimated to Smith that it was their intention to search him and hia whan, at the Bame time producing his warrant. Smith made no objection, and was examined. He produced the trousers which he Baid he had been wear* ing for the last three months, and, though a minute examination was made, no sign or trace of blood was found on them. The whan was next searched, and Smith's gun was found and examined, also the cartridges, of which there were forty-six found. The gun was a single-barrel breechloader, and a close Borutiny revealed the fact that from the breech dowu to near the muzzle it was greasy, and without signs of rust. The muzz'e, however, was found to be thickly encrusted with dust, and so thick was it that both tho detective and the sergeant came to the conclusion that it had been artificially produced. There was a great deal more dirt than would have accumulated within the three weeks that Smith averred it had not been used. Inside the muzz i was rusted as far as one fiDger could reach, and Detective Benjamin said it had evidently been rusted with ealt and water. The cartridges wera next examined, and found to contain No. 2 shot, the same as was taken out of Soott's skull. The police officers found nothing of a definite or tangible nature for which they could arrest Smith, and they then proceeded through tho district and instituted inquiries amongst the settlers, but the only face elicited was that there was no one in the district likely to have seen Scott on the day of the murder except his nephew and Smith, the nearest settler being five or six miles away, and there was no stranger in the district. On Friday morning they left for town,, and shortly after eleven o'clock arrived at Smith's whan, where they found Smith had poisoned himself with arsenic. A note was left on the table, written on an envelope, as follows:—" I am innocent of J. K. Scott's murder.—Joseph Smith." So far as is at present known, Messrs James and Arthur White were the last persons to see the de-

ceased alive, and they law him on Thursday afternoon. _ ' In bis evidence at the inquest Detective Benjamin stated that Smith did not appear to be melanoholy or in any way peonliw. The bunk on which he was found lying dead had been broken down on account of Smith's convulsions. Neither witness nor Sergeant Black had said anything to him to lead him to suppose that they intended to arrest him. When they examined his clothes he said: "I don't blame you for what you are doing; you are only doing your duty." In the whare they found some white powder and an empty bottle labelled strychnine. Dr Laing gave evidence that he had mado a post mortem examination of the body of Joseph Smith. In witness's opiniou death was caused from acute arsenical poisoning. Tho white powder (produced) was probably arsenic. Deceased might have taken both arsenicandstrychnine, but the traces of arsenic were the only ones apparent. . A verdict that deceased committed suicide by arsenical poisoning was returned.