TAMAKI TRAGEDY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 162, 25 June 1935, Page 9

TAMAKI TRAGEDY

INQUEST ON P. HOBSON Evidence of Boy’s Mother STORY OF THE SHOOTING By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 24. The inquest concerning the death of Peter Hobson, aged 18, who took his own life after firing a rifle twice at his father and gravely wounding him at East Tamaki, was opened before the Coroner, Mr F. H. Levien, S.M., at Otahuhu. Mrs Hobson said that the deceased had been employed by an electrician in Auckland, and terminated his employment last Thursday. After evidence of identification had been given the Coroner asked witness if she desired to make any further statement. Airs Hobson: Only it preyed on “Sonny’s” mind my losing my divorce case against my husband. The Coroner: What was the position? Airs Hobson: I recently tried to get a divorce from the boy’s father. The boy wanted to give evidence for me, and it worried him that he was not permitted to give evidence, otherwise he was perfectly healthy and happy. KNOWN AS "SONNY.” William Alullins said he was employed by the deceased’s father, and resided on the farm. He knew the deceased well. Ho was commonly known as “Sonny”. “I last saw the deceased alive shortly after 11.30 a.m. on Sunday. For some years I resided as a neighbour of my employer, Hobson. His wife and two children then resided with him. I knew the family very well. Of the two children Peter was the elder, and the other Derrick, was about eight years of age. "I was engaged by Hobson about two and a half months ago. His wife and family had then left the farm, and were living in Auckland. My brother, Clifford, also worked on the farm, and we and Hobson bached at the farmhouse. About a month ago, in the course of conversation with my employer, he instructed me that should his wife or children visit the farm 1 was not to allow them to enter the house in his absence. I gathered from his conversation that he considered his wife had treated him unfairly.” Witness said that his employer left the farm as usual on Sunday morning in his truck for the city, about 3.30 a.m. After finishing his milking duties witness returned to bed in a front room of the farm-house, which he shared with his brother. “POINTED THE GUN AT ME.” “At about 11.30 a.m. I was awakened by my brother, who told me that the deceased had just entered the front room of the house. I dressed hastily and entered the room. The French window was open, and behind the door I saw the deceased standing with a rifle in his hands. He pointed the gun at me and I dodged back into the passage. The deceased was dressed in denim trousers, khaki shirt and stock, ings. He did not speak.”

Witness went to a back room occupied by his employer, and found his brother had awakened him. Witness returned to the front room and found that the deceased had disappeared. He then assisted his employer to search the farm for the deceased, but they failed to find him, HEARD DISCHARGE OF RIFLE. “I then remained at the larm on my employer’s instructions, while he, accompanied by my brother, drove down the drive in the truck. When the truck wae about 90 yards from the farm-house I heard the discharge of a rifle. The truck stopped, and I saw my employer leave the driver’s seat and walk toward the rear of the vehicle. He was shading his eyes with his hand and looking over the paddock in a westerly direction. On looking in the same direction I saw the deceased about 75 yards away and 60 yards distant from the truck, kneeling on the turf and aiming the rifle. Simultaneously with the discharge of the rifle I saw my employer fall. The deceased then turned and ran tn a westerly direction and disappeared down an incline.” Witness said he assisted to put his employer in the truck, and then drove it to Papaetoetoe to obtain medical attention for him. The deceased’s body was found at a point about 20 lards from the position where witness had seen the deceased kneeling and discharging the rifle. The Coroner said be would adjourn the proceedings until July 1. The condition of Air Hobson senior is still serious.