THE |HIMATANGI TRAGEDY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 September 1929, Page 3

THE |HIMATANGI TRAGEDY.

SUPPORT FOR MURDER THEORY. Since the, announcement by the police that they suspected some tragic occurrence at the Wnght-Westlake homestead, as a preliminary to the fire which consumed the dwelling near Ilimataugi and cremated almost entirely the inmates on the night of Friday, .September 6, renewed interest has been taken in the calamity and each step in the investigations has been followed in detail. There has been a natural desire on the part of the public to learn the reasons for the police suspicions, but these are really not hard to discover when a sifting is made of the material available.

First and foremost, comes the hole in the skull, supposed to be that of Mr. Wright, and the lead inside.

Although it is not at present definitely proved so, the facts point to that lead being conglomerate shot, fired from a shot-gun, while the size of the hole suggests a short range.

This opinion was expressed last evening by Senior-Detective Quirke, in answer to a press inquiry. Assuming that the police theory is right, the question then to be solved is who fired the shot ?

A double-barrelled shot-gun was discovered unloaded evitu one hammer down and the other cocked, in what was Westlake’s and Taomson’s bedroom. All the wooden portion was burnt away and the barrels were separated by the action of the lire. The gun belonged to \Vright. Who Fired the Shot ? It has to be remembered that the man Westlake was almost blind and do: cidedly eccentric. He certainly was blind in darkness and little better in daylight, having to use powerful glasses to aid him in getting about. Yesterday, Mr. Cadogan informed a “Times' ’ representative that Westlake was afraid of being caught out in the darkness and when in town, was always fidgetting to get home before sunset. One day, he event to Air. Cadogan’s for dinner and could not see his horse a few yards away when he event to mount for the hc.meevard journey. Leaving the other inmates of the dwelling for the time being and considering the possibility of someone from outside having a hand in the affair, the first obstacle encountered is the Diet that the Wright-Westlake homestead was in an isolated spot and by the nigged nature of the surrounding country, defying approach to anyone evho evas not acquainted evith the locality, or not directed. The police inquiries have been very exhaustive and so far, there is no evidence of any stranger having visited the spot. The process of elimination has directed thought once more to the inmates of the • homestead and the possibility of a domestic tragedy. On this supposition, tevo persons only are left on evhom suspicion may rest—■ Wright and Thomson. There are still those, of course, evho believe that the latter evas not a victim ami that he is still alive. To clear up this point, a ‘ ‘ Times ’' represental ivo approached Dr. C. King, of Palmerston North, evho with Dr. Wyllie, of Foxton, had the task of sorting out the bones found in the Wright bedroom, in order to discover if there econo levo or three people burnt there. Dr. King stated that n« would sooner leave what he had to say till the inquest, as his opinion on the various points submitted to him, must be one that had no doubts about it and such being the case, ho had to give matters great consideration. As yet, he had not completed his investigations, but one remark of the doctor’s was significant. He said: “Is it not sufficient that evarrants have been issued for the burial of eight people * ”

The young man, Thomson, is stated to have been backward for a person of his years —he was 26 years of age —but he was quietly disposed. As for Wright, while it has been stated that the family was a very happy one, there has been no evidence revealed so far as to his temperament. There is another point of interest that is apparent. Since Thomson’s bones wore mixed up with Wright’s, might not the portion <of the skull with the lead in it be that of the younger man ?

There are other features which help to substantiate the theory of murder, that have been mentioned before. Briefly, they are the fact that a dog' was burnt in the tire when one would have supposed that its endeavours to escape and barking would have aroused the inmates unless they were already dead and the fact that Thomson and Westlake were away from their bedroom, while the others wore in theirs. Ashes Sieved. Yesterday the police spent a busy day sieving the ashes at the scene of the fire hut found nothing of import. So completely has the fire done its work, that the police have a most difficult task in solving the tragic problem —so difficult, in fact, that it looks as if nobody will ever know, of the events that led up to the final, all-consuming tragedy. A number of new features were brought to light as a result of further inquiries made by a “ Times’ * representative yesterday. It appears that Westlake had two other share milkers on the farm before the Wrights—a Mr. and Mrs, Moles and a Mr. and Mrs. J. King. The latter now reside in Taranaki. The Moles and Kings were there for very short periods, the reason for their leaving, it is stated, being that Westlake was a hard taskmaster and expected too much of them. He would not even let up en Sundays, his endeav-

our being to improve the place quickly, so that he could dispose of' it. Mrs. H. King, who lives on the adjoining farm, when spoken to yesterday, reiterated that, although she had thought over the affair since its Occurrence, she was at a loss to account for it. She v was very friendly with the Wrights and saw Mrs Wright quite often. Westlake was particularly fend of the eldest girl, aged nine years, and all seemed to get on well together. One thing that had puzzled her, however, was the discovery of three children together. Usually only two slept in the middle bedroom and the third one with the baby, Prudence, m a settee, which was turned to the wall in the father's and mother’s room to make a bed.

With all this suspicion of mdrder, it is refreshing to consider another solution of the tragedy that has been advanced. Originally, it was stated access to the Wright bedrooms was gained through the bathroom and Westlake’s room. It has been ascertained since, however, that since the Wright’s went to the farm, doors -w'ere cut through the kitchen wall to give separate access to each room, the access from one bedroom to the other being then boarded up. The theory is that all the inmates were asleep, that Thomson and Westlake wore awakened first

and in endeavouring to awaken the W rights, were overcome in the kitchen, Westlake where ho was found and r l horn son at the Wright’s bedroom door. But what of the hole in the skull arid the lead inside 1