RUNANGA MURDERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 12 February 1918, Page 5

RUNANGA MURDERS.

McMAHON ON TRIAL

M TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.

OHRISTCHUECH, Feb. 11. Ihe trial of William Jiggers Mcwa,K ' otherwise known as jjrederick Williani Eggers, chaiged with. having; murdered JoUn Coultiiard on Isovenioer y, 191/. near Ureyniouth, and with, having, on the same date, and at the same time and place, attempted to murder William hall and Isaac James S^-n^J 1 having stolen the »>um of ±,aooy lbs Bd. was commenced at the Supreme Court to-day ; before Mr Justice Cnapman. Mr S. G. Raymond K.C., prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, accused being defended by Mr •i* hunter. Eggers pleaded not guilty. Ihe Court was crowded when the proceedings opened. There are about forty-five witnesses to be examined, and it is anticipated that the ease will last several days. The Crown Prosecutor, "in opening the proceedings, said che .-;«s woi>'d bo taken in two tinges, the first being the establishment of the nnirder and the second that of fixing the £uilt on accused. Mr Raymond described the I history of the case up to the present proceedings, mentioning the details that have already been published. At the outset he stated that Coulthard was driving with Isaac Angelo James the mine manager, next to him, and Paymaster Hall was in the back seat with the money which he had drawn from the bank for the purpose of pay»}g the miners at the Runanga mine. Mr Raymond recounted the incidents of the actual hold-up. When Coulthard stepped out, James saw a masked- man at tiie side of the road, which was lined with bush. The mask was like a lady's veil The man immediately fired rapid iy from two revolvers which he held - one in each hand/ Coulthard fell, and I died shortly after. Hall was hit in the! i? re,a" n > anfl «ko in the upper arm,' the bullet in this case penetrating the body and lodging in the spine. Hall died on December 27, and on the day of his death a bullet was extracted from his body. Shots were also fired at two eye-witnesses, who came on the scene but they escaped into the-bush. Evidence would be given to the effect that | a roan was seen decamping with a bag • in which, it was subsequently discovered, was the money that was to be taken to the miners. Mr Raymond said an automatic pistol would play an important part m the evidence. A revolver (produced'), a 38 calibre one, belonged to Hall. The revolver did not affect the case. It was an old-fashioned weapon. The bullets found in the bodies and in James' wound were all of 32 calibre, and were either of Peters' or Winchester manufacture. From Coul+hard's body there was extracted one. 32 calibre bullet, and from Hall's body a 32 calibre bullet was taken during his illness, and at the post mortem another 32 calibre bullet was extracted from the spine. A 32 calibre bullet was also removed from James' leg One 32 calibre bullet was found in the frame of the car, and two 32's were recovered from the body of the machine. Altogether seven bullets of 32 calibre, either Peters' or Winchester manufacture, were recovered Five cartridge cases were also found, one being close to Coulthard's body. i

At the request of Mr Hunter all the witnesses, with the. exception' of* the medical ones and. Detective Ward, were ordered out of Court. The first charge was that of murdering John Coulthard. Mr Raymond detailed the subsequent events on the Coast, and then changed the scene to Christchurch. The facts which had come out as to Eggers' association with a local barmaid were referred to, and the circumstances connected with the arrest of accused on Thursday, November 15, were enumerated. Eggers was seen by two detectives in the dining-room of the Empire Hotel with the. barmaid. On coming out he was accosted, and twice made requests that the brief bag and two parcels which he carried should be left in the hotel. The requests were refused. Eggers clung to the brief bag, and subsequently was noticed fumbling with something inside. The detectives^ noticing a revolver, made sure of things, and handcuffed accused. In the brief bag was found a fully-loaded Colt auto, matic revolver of 32 calibre. There were five 32 calibre bullets of Peters' manufacture, and three 32's of Winchester make in the magazine. After Eggers had been searched, the detective proceeded to the house in Gloucester street, where Eggers and the woman mentioned occupied a room. There the trunk was examined, and the missing money was discovered in a suit case. Thero were 200 new £5 notes, which, it would be proved, had been handed to Paymaster Hall at the bank on the morning of the tragedy. There was also a book of 10s notes, and three marked half-crowns. When arrested, accused had some of the notes on his person. Mr Raymond submitted a table, giving particulars of the money as it was handed to Mr Hall, and as it was afterwards found in accused's possession. There were also three £LG notes but these were hot part of the money handed to Hall, and it was assumed that they had been obtained by changing six of the £5 notes. Pistol covers were aiso found, and cartridges to fit a. pistol of 32 calibre. It would be shown that Eggers about four years ago had made the acquaintance of a barmaid, who had come to Christchurch in February. 1917. and on April 10 had again met Eggers. and taken up residence with him in Gloucester street. The movements of accused were traced from October 2. when ho staved in Greymouth, until October 10. Through the essential period on October' 12 Eggers was seen at Dunollie mine. He had enquired from a Mr Pendell where the State Mine was. as he had dropped important papers. Eggers remarked: "Has the State Mine car come along yet?" showing that he had knowledge of the car. On November 3 Alo.ock. owner of the cottage near the scene of the tragedy, had found a man in a darkened room. The man was occupying the cottage. This man would be shown to be Eggers. Reference was made to the purchase of articles and food, and to Eggers having been seen in the vicinity of the robbery by several persons on different occasions. Eggers was on Cobden bridge on several days immediately preceding the murder, and on the day before (November 8) Saunders bad met him proceeding over the bridge in the direction of Runanga. Accused had a bicycle and a carrier. Saun. ders had remarked, "You seem to have a good thing this way?" Eggers replied: "Yes; there are lots of .good things on the road between here and Runanga." The movements of accused subsequent to the tragedy were detailed, and the inconsistencies in hi? statement were mentioned. Eggers bar spoken with one witness, and in a discussion on firearms bad said he had ar automatic pistol, that he was a gooci shot with either band, and that Ik could lire thirty-six shots in a minute The bulk of the evidence taken today related -to plans and photographof "the scene of the tragedy, and f>-< composition of the money in tho hand; of the State Mine officials at tho tiir>o. T. O'Callaglvnn, teller. Dank of Neii Zealand, Greymouth. .stated that th< only money he could identify as having been hnnd'o-d to Mr Hall was the tw< books of five-pound notes. H. F. Dous^ns. exchange clerk at tb< same bank who exchanged for Hall £2(

worth of florins for £20 worth of halfcrowns, said the top coin of each pile had an ink mark on it similar to the coins produced

Isaac Angelo James, manager of the State Mines atltunanga, described what occurred on the morning of the tragedy. The man who stuck up the car was dressed in overalls and dungarees and wore a mask. He could not identify the man. 'After the shooting of Coulthard and Hull he found four shells and two bullets in the back seat of the car. He had been cross-examined by accused in the Lower Court, and accused had told him that he (witness) could not see the car from the position he wuis in on the railway line. As a matter of fact he could see it.

To Mr Hunter: He was not consider ably excited at the time of the occurrence. He kept cool. When the car reached the obstruction on the road he opened the door and stood on the mudguard till the car stopped. The words •'Hands up!'' directed his attention to the masked man. About five seconds later the first shot was fired, and two or three seconds cfter he heard two shots and saw the driver and Hall fall over moaning. He crouched down by the side of the ear, and then ran along the rocicl for 255 yards, till he reached the railway embankment. He did not run into the bush at the roadside because the ground was swampy, and he might have been bogged. From the embankment he saw ond heard the masked man fire three shots into the car. He knew the men who approached the car shortly after the shooting, but did not recognise them.

At this stage the Court adjourned till 10 a.m. to-morrow.