GORY ENCOUNTER

Evening Star, Issue 22723, 10 August 1937, Page 8

GORY ENCOUNTER

GUN BUTT AND GORSE KNIFE MAORI BROTHERS' FIGHT NIGHT BRAWL AT MOERAKI (From Our Own Reporter.) PALMERSTON, August 10. A primitive fracas at the Maori pa at Moeraki on the night of July 2, when a gorse slasher and a chair were used and a gun was converted into a flailing weapon after a shot was fired, was described at the Palmerston Police Court when Ira Panapa Porete, who was still nursing a broken left arm, was charged with doing grievous bodily harm to Paane Reweti Porete, his brother, who nearly had two fingers severed and was severely wounded in the head. The brothers were commonly known as Poliett, the accused being known as Ned and Paano as Fuller. Accused was represented by Mr C. J. L. White, and the case was conducted by Sergeant M'Gregor. Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., presided. Photographs of the house where the affray took place were produced by David Haddow Gilmour, photographer, of Oaraaru. Dr G. Hodgkiss said the accused was admitted to Oamaru Hospital at 11.45 p.m. with a broken left forearm and lacerations of tho scalp. The wounds could have been, caused by blows from a blunt instrument. Fuller Porete had a deep wound involving the skull bone on the left side. On his right hand two fingers were nearly cut off. His left foot was also cut. All the injuries could be made by a sharp instrument.

To Sergeant M'Gregor; There was no gunshot wound.

To Mr "White: The accused’s wounds suggested that he had received rough handling. The two gashes on his head were moderately severe, but not dangerous to life. Haha Ivaikai Tcpcue, whose homo was 80yds away from Fuller’s (Paani Porete’s) house, said the accused arrived sober at 8.10 p.m. He came into the sitting room and asked if she had seen Mrs Eva Johnston anq her mother about. He said they had left his place, and /some of his things were missing from his house. He then said, “ I think they must be over at Fuller’s place,” and asked that her husband should go with him. Her husband gave him some matches and an electric torch to see his way over, as it was dark. About 10 minutes later he returned, and when she opened the door sho saw he was bleeding from a wound on the forehead. Ho said his brother had hit him through the bedroom window.

John William Tepene, labourer, said accused was sober when he arrived, but a little excited. At 8.30 he heard the explosion of a shotgun in the direction of Puller’s house. A fortnight or three weeks previously he was in Fuller’s house, and noticed a double-barrelled breach-loading shotgun in the kitchen, apd in good order. Witness did not know that Mrs Johnston was at Fuller’s house before the accused called looking for her.

John Mouat Green, a casual railway surfaceman, who conveyed Paani Porete to Palmerston, said. Paani was in a serious condition. His head was covered with blood and one of 'his hands was cut. At 2 a.m. he went to Fuller’s house with Alexander M'Lellan and Mrs Johnston. A window of the bedroom in which Mrs Johnston’s mother was sleeping was broken, the glass being scattered on the floor. He noticed blood all over the passage leading to this room, and blood over the kitchen table and the floor between the back door and the gate. He saw a slasher blade with a small broken piece of handle. There was no gun about, Alexander Michael John M'Lellan, of Moeraki, fisherman, gave corroborative evidence. THE ACCUSED’S VERSION. James Hill Scully, head master at Moeraki, said the accused called at 9.5 and asked him to ring up the police. Accused was in a terrible condition, being almost covered with blood from head to foot. In reply to his question, accused said he had had trouble with his brother. Ho said he had_ been to Dunedin that day, and on coming home had found his house broken into, his brother taking several beds. He went to interview his brother about taking his belongings,, and a fracas took place. Accused said he went to the window and called to his brother to come out, but a boot came flying through it and struck him on the forehead. His brother then appeared at the door, raised the shotgun, and fired at him. His brother instantly upended the gun, and, taking the barrel in both hands, hit him over the head. _ Accused showed the bashes made on him. He said ho kept dodging back and back looking for something with which to defend himself, but in the meantime the gun descended on his arm, of which he complained as being painful. He picked up a stick and warded off Fuller’s blows w r ith it.

“Accused said ‘Do yon know, I think it was a gorse knife,’ ” continued witness. “ Did you know it was a gorse knife at first,” I asked; “you might have killed your brother.” Accused replied that he did not know it was a gorse knife,till afterwards, and he jabbed Fuller with it. Fuller had broken the gun on his arm. rushed on him, and thrown hijn to the ground. They had a rough and tumble on the ground, Fuller finally being thrown over with a M'Cready hold, and the next ho knew they were both (right out on the ground. With difficulty, accused said, he scrambled on his feet and went straight down to ring up the police. Accused was wearing a military overcoat. He added that when ho left Fuller ivas unconscious but he thought complainant’s wounds were trifling. His greatest fear was that Fuller would set fire to his nlaco while ho went to Hampden. Witness took him to the police. Accused said the window through which the boot was thrown at him had no panes. Sergeant M'Gregor: Did ho express any feeling about his brother? Witness: Ho expressed more about Mrs Johnston. He was very much annoyed, more by the fact that she and Fuller bad taken the furniture together than that she had changed her residence. He made it appear to me that it ivas a point of honour to protect his property. Prior to July 2 Mrs Johnston was living with accused. To Mr White; His homo was threequarters of a mile from Fuller Porete’s house. THE HOUSEKEEPER’S STORY. Eva May Johnston, widow, now residing at Timaru, said that on July 1 she was living at Moeraki as the housekeeper of a house partly owned by bor and partly by the accused. She bad been housekeeping for him for four and a-half .years, her two sons and her mother living with her. She left liecauso of the way accused was treating the children,, going to Mb

brother’s place. Sho had to take the boys to some place, as the accused threatened to thrash them for allowing a cow to wander into a ploughed paddock. She stayed at complainant’s house that night, her sons and mother remaining in the accused’s house, in which she owned ail the furniture except one bed. On the following day Fuller and she went to the house. She took the lock off the door and prepared three beds, mattresses,- and blankets tor removal later by horse and dray. - Sergeant M'Grcgor; Did you take anything belonging to the accused? Witness: He had nothing to take. Now tell us what happened that evening!—l can’t tell you much, as I was not outside.

Mrs Johnston said she slept with her mother, Puller occupying a room in the front of the house, yhe retired at 7.45, and Fuller then sounded as if lie were asleep. She first heard Fuller’s window being broken. Accused was singing out “ Eva ” before the window was broken. Then the window of her room was broken. She heard Fuller got up. He told her to keep away from the window', and accused to go home. Accused alleged she stole his beds, and she told Fuller to reply that there was nothing belonging to him. Fuller went to the back door and told accused to go home. ' “In a flash,” she said, “they were making for each other. Another window at the back of the house came in, and the mirror of the duchess© close to it was broken. I heard them scuffling about for a minute or tw-o, and Fuller came back into the house. I heard accused call to a neighbour, Tapene, to come over. I next heard a gun go off somewhere outside the house, and accused sang out; ‘Murder, murder.’ The disturbance seemed to finish then, and Fuller came inside. He appeared to bo very much injured about the head.”

Mrs Johnston, said she attended to Fuller’s injuries. He was very sick, and wanted to lie down. She made a bed for him in the passage near the door, and, not knowing that ho was so badly hurt, she again retired. She was later awakened by Fuller calling for water. She felt the floor to be covered in blood, and on getting a light she saw that his hand was injured. It appeared to be half cut off. With the intention of taking him to the nearest doctor she dressed Fuller. He was unable to walk, and she had difficulty in helping him to Green’s house. “In the morning I saw a broken slasher just outside the back door,” said witness. “ I brought it inside. It had blood stains on it. I have seen similar slashers in my home. I saw the initials N P on the handle. Actused brands everything he has got with those initials. He is commonly known as Ned Pollett. My small son later brought into the house a gun broken completely at the stock. I have seen that gun at accused’s house. I also found a chair with one leg broken at the side of the house.” Sergeant M'Gregor; Can you say whether the accused is jealous of you? —No. , / , ‘ Mr White: You referred rather contemptuously to the accused as ‘ that fellow ’ ? , ' Witness: No doubt., I say a good riddance to him. You don’t like the accused?—Ao, 1 began to dislike him two years ago when he started to knock my boy about. , ' , , , She denied that she had cleaned up the house on the morning of July 3 because she was expecting the police. Fuller had not been a constant source of annoyance to the accused. You have no love for him?—Not much. Have you transferred your attentions to his brother?—That concerns nobody. It is a personal question, and you won t get an answer. Witness persistently refused to answer until Mr White asked her if she knew when she was in love, when she replied, “ Evidently not.” . She said she would have remained with the accused had he not interfered with the children. She was welcomed by Fuller ibat night. , She had no knowledge of Fuller being warned by the police to keep away from his brother. She bought the land where their house was built, and accused gave., her £39 to buy furniture in Dunedin. If accused said she was in Fuller’s room on the night of the affray, he was lying. Her son and not she told Fuller to igo out and give him a hiding. She did not hear Fuller say he would murder his brother if he did not go away. Fuller had no love for mm. “ Don’t you consider you are morally responsible for this whole trouble? ” asked Mr White. “ No, I do not,” replied witness. BOY’S EVIDENCE. Raymond Douglas Johnston, the 10-year-old son of the previous witness, said Ira Porete used to hit him if he did not do things properly. When he told his mother and Fuller on July 2 that accused had gone to Dunedin, they decided to shift the bedding. He corroborated his mother’s evidence as to the accused calling “ Eva ” and complainant tolling him to go home. He saw accused using a slasher a fortnight previously, and the gun he found belonged to Mark Porete, of Moeraki, He knew Ira and Fuller were not friendly following an argument a, few month before about the ownership of a horse. COMPLAINANT’S STORY. Paano Reweti Porete, a farmer, 28 years old, said Mrs Johnston asked for a lease of his house, as she was leaving jiis brother. Ho agreed, and helped to remove the furniture to his house. He went to bed at about 8 o’clock, and was awakened by what ho thought was an earthquake. The window glass came in, and accused appeared at the window and knocked it in. As he was getting out of bed ho told Ira to get out, and something flew past his head. Accused demanded his bed, and witness denied that he had it. Accused then smashed the winow of the room in ■which were Mrs Johnston and the mother, and the former came into the passage. He dressed and went out by the back door. Ho saw nobody, but he heard more windows being broken. He went into the house again and took the gun kept in a room off the kitchen. The gun was not loaded, but bo took one cartridge with him. “ I took tho gun to frighten him away,” said complainant. My brother was calling out to Jack Tipan© by the trees. When I thought he was coming through an opening in the trees I fired a shot, but I did not see anyone. I fired the shot to see if ho might go home. I walked to the opening in tho trees. My brother was in the trees, and he jumped out at m© with , a slasher. I tried to defend myself with the shotgun, and there was a set-to. Accused and I fell to the ground, and the slasher struck me across the hand. I could not then defend myself, and I ran. Accused caught up with me at the back of the house, and I turned. While I was on the ground he attacked mo with the slasher. I was still holding tho shotgun, and I managed to get up and closed with him. He had only the handle of the slasher, and I took it away from him. When I was being attacked accused said: “I’ll murder you,” The court hero adjourned till tho afternoon. t