WOMAN'S DEATH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22438, 19 September 1947, Page 6

WOMAN'S DEATH

TRAGEDYON FARM EMPLOYEE CHARGED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL (P.A.) NEW PLYMOUTH, Sept. 18. Charged in the Stratford Magistrate’s Court with the murder of Georgina Harwood, a married woman, aged 44 years, Herbert Edward Pearce, a farm labourer, aged 21 years, pleaded not guilty and was committed to the nest session of the New Plymouth Supreme Court for trial. “Herby said ‘lt’s murder.’” This reply by accused to a question about what happened was reported in the evidence of Thomas Leslie Morrow _ in court yesterday when the case against Pearce was continued. Witness gave an account of how the accused behaved on the farm on the morning of the shooting. Pearce, well dressed, sat with his counsel. He appeared to follow the evidence closelly but showed no signs of emotion. Morrow said he was commonly known as Thomas Riley. On August 13. with Albert Wood Robinson, an employee, he was working on a track about four miles and a quarter from the homestead. The time was about 11.30. While working he looked up the track and saw accused coming down from the direction of He commented: “Here comes Pearce. , When Pearce came up he handed him a .303 rifle. Examination of Rifle Mr. F. S. Grayling, for the Crown, oassed witness a rifle. “That is much like the rifle,” witness said. Subsequently he handed the rifle to the police. When Pearce gave him the rifle he said, “Ring Fleming as quick as you can and ask no questions. Accused then dropped his head and walked towards the homestead. Witness examined the rifle. There was nothing in either the chamber or the magazine. They went after Pearce and caught him up. Witness still held the rifle. He asked Pearce what had happened- Pearce replied, “Ask no questions and ring the police.” Witness hurried home and rang the police station at Eltham. Constable Fleming asked what Pearce had done. Witness replied that he did not knowWitness told Constable Fleming that Pearce had handed him a rflfe. Constable Fleming asked: Has it been fired through?” He told witness to look through the barrel. Witness did that and Constable Fleming said he would come out. “I went back to Pearce," went on witness, “and told him Constable Fleming wanted him to ring up. “Herby” was then just getting into the woolshed. He replied. ‘No.’ I said, ‘Well he wants you to tell me what you have done and for me to tell him.’ Herby said, ‘Murder.’ He then put his head in his hands and cried. I went and rang Constable Fleming and told him what had happened.” The constable said he was coming

out, witness continued. Witness took accused a cup of tea- Accused was alone but had two dogs. He said, “Would you get them back to George Harwood?” Mr Grayling: “What was the condition of the accused?” “Accused Seemed Fairly Normal”

Witness: “He seemed fairly normal to me. When I went to get a chain for the dogs he came up to me. He looked cold and 1 goosy-fleshed-” Several davs later after August 13, on the scantling of a manure shed in the middle of the farm w'itness said he found the letters H.P. and 13/8/1947 written in charcoal. There was a track between the witness’ place and the Harwoods. The manure shed was the same distance away from the track The constable stationed at Eltham, James Michael Fleming, said he went to the farm managed by Morrow on August 13. Witness told accused that anything he said would be recorded and might be used in evidence against him. Accused made a statement which witness took down as he spoke as follows:

“After breakfast I was to get goats for dogs’ food. I was going to shoot them with my .303. I think I shot Mrs. Harwood. Her daughter Val was in the house- I showed them the protector for my rifle sight. Mrs Harwoov. was good to me—just like a mother. I fired the rifle in the kitchen.' The bullet hit the chimney and struck Mrs Harwood. I asked her if she were all

right and she wouldn’t talk to me. She always talks to me other times. Val said to me, ‘Look what you have done!’ “I was going to shoot myself then.. I didn’t know what to do. I stayed in the house. I was going to kill Val, too. She may not be dead. I might have missed her. Go and have a look. ** Dad said never to point a gun at any one. Strained Relations at Dance “I was wild at her the other night at a dance in Tututawa. Val wouldn/ talk to me- I didn’t take any notice We haa a row before. She said 1 called her some names. I was wild, a» 1 thought the world of this girl. That would be about Friday night. We did not have any row since. There was no row at Harwood’s home this morning. 1 don’t know if Mrs Hanvood fell over when I fired the rifle. I saw where the bullet hit a orick when Mrs Harwood was shot. I don’t know what I did. “Val started to cry and said, ‘Look what you have done.’ She said I wasn’t to go and shoot myself. She • might not be dead. I said, ‘I might as well shoot myself.’ I gave the rifle to Riley. I had five bullets in the magazine. I don’t remember firing any. 1 don’t remember a shot going off. I didn’t hear it. I think I must have gone mad. She was good to me and did everything for me.” Corroborative evidence was given by Constable A. H. Abbott, Eltham, who went with Constable Fleming to Maternal eongaThe son of the dead woman, Edward George Harwood, farm hand, said he had been shooting with the accused and regarded him as a safe man with a rifle. When he carried a rifle he usually had it on half-cock when it was loaded. He had never complained that it was defective. Technical Firearms Evidence

The last witness was Senior-Sergeant G. G. Kelly, arms adviser, Wellington. On August 20, he said, he received a fiiearm and small exhibits for examination. The rifle was in good mechanical order with the trigger pull jib above the military minimum. Senior-Sergeant Kelly said the provision of a safety knotch in the firing mechanism was intended to prevent an accidental shot if there was a jar through a violent bump on the stock. He found the mechanism prevented an accidental shot. There were two fragments of the bullet. One of lead was pari of the core, and the other was part of the metal casing. The former was too mutilated for positive identification with a particular firearm- One side of the lead appeared to be stippled with brickwork. Several other small fragments which he understood were taken from Mrs. Harwood’s brain were similar to the plaster fragments from above the mantlepiecePearce’s counsel had nothing to say when the Crown evidence finished.

Pearce pleaded not guilty and was committed to the next session of the New Plymouth Supreme Court for trial. The coroner. Mr W. E. Liddell J.P., said the verdict on the inquest, held in conjunction, would not be given till after the case was heard by the Supreme Court.