“I AM STABBED”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 October 1924, Page 5

“I AM STABBED”

AUCKLAND MURDER. STATEMENT BY ACCUSED. FRACAS IN AN HOTEL. (by TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, Oct. 13. Shutes was present at the inquest, wearing a bandage around his head. He is a sturdily built man, 'dark, suntanned, with a clean shaven face. His head injury was nothing to do with the tragedy, having been sustained later on his ship. In response to a question by the Coroner. Detective Hammond, who arrested Shutes, produced the .accused man’s knife, a long horn handled weapon, with a dagger shaped blade three inches long and sharpened to almost razor keenness. In a lengthy statement Shutes described his doings on Friday night. He says he received £4 from the captain of the West Islip and went ashore with three of his shipmates about 4.30 p.m., visiting several hotels. He later separated from his comrades and visited the City Hotel, where he had a few drinks. There was some trouble and he. had to get out. In company with Kilpatrick he visited an hotel of which he did not know the name. There he and Kilpatrick had drinks. After consuming the liquor Shutes went out qf the room to get some more. He met. a man whom he had paid for the previous dfink. He asked this man for more drink. An argument aro-se, and the barman hit him on the forehead with what Shutes believed to be a bottle. The blow very nearly knocked him out- He was staggered, but did not fall. Shutes proceeds: “I had my pocket knife, which the police now have, open when the barman attacked me. I did not open my kife after the barman hit me on the forehead. I had 'it open when Kilpatrick and I were in the sitting room to get a bottle of beer open. ” Slmteg says he had the knife in his left hand when the barman went to Strike him a second time as lie was straightening up from the first blow. He says: “I threw out mv hand toward his body with the knife open in my hand so that the lenife would catch him in the lower part of the body. The two of us then fell to the floor. The barman said to rne: “I am stabbed.” Continuing, accused says he then ran down the stairs into the street. He knew his knife had gone into the barman’s body, and he realised there would be trouble. Running as hard as he could, he got into a side street and climbed on top of a building, cutting his hand on a tin fence as he got over. There he remained for about half an hour till everything was quiet. He then returned to his ship in a taxi-cab. Shutes emphatically states that he 'alone had anything to do with the tragedy. “No one else was in it,” he says. He adds that he . got a terrible shock when the barman said he was stabbed. AUCKLAND, Oct. 12. The inquest on Reginald Louis Short, the victim of the Aurora Hotel tragedy, was opened yesterday before Mr Poynton, when evidence of identification was given. Chief Detective . Cummings said Shutes, who Was arrested on hoard the steamer West Islip, had made a statement. No evidence would be offered against Kilpatrick, the charge against whom, was _withdrawn, and, Kilpatrick was accordingly discharged. In his statement Shutes admitted inflicting the wound on deceased, hut says it was accidental as a result of a scuffle. The inquest was adjourned.