MOKAU TRAGEDY

Northern Advocate, 23 June 1920, Page 3

MOKAU TRAGEDY

CHARGE OF MURDER

PRELIMINARY HEARING

Yesterday, at the Whangarei Magistrate's Court, Wiremu Pita, known also as Billy Peters, was charged before Mr F. H. Levien, S.M., with the murder of Douglas Kaupeka Piripi, at Mokau, on Sunday, May 30th. The deceased man was a returned soldier and more commonly known as Douglas Phillips. Inspector Mullaney conducted the prosecution for the police and Messrs Carruth and Stout appeared jointly for the accused. Mr Woods acted as interpreter. Judge Holland occupied a seat in th 6 court room' near the Bench. Mr J. D. MeKenzie, J.P., was on the Bench besides His Worship as Acting-Coroner, it being agreed to take the resumed inquest at the same time as the Magistrate's inquiry concerning the capital charge. Seats were provided at the solicitors' table for the jury—Messrs Benjamin Le Clerc, William Arthur Hartley, John Sutherland and Hiwi Birch, the firstnamed being foreman. The court v/as densely crowded, and a subdued feeling marked the proceedings throughout the afternoon. The accused, wearing a tweed suit of brown mixture, took an impassive interest in the hearing, except at times when his fac e lighted up with an engaging smile. In colour he seemed rather lighter than the true native type, approximating to a Hindoo cast of features, with dark brilliant eyes, black bushy hair, and a frank open countenance, not without a decided aspect of good looks and friendliness. He seemed to be of a fairly athletic build and about thirty years of age. A BROTHER'S TESTIMONY The first witness for the prosecution was a brother of th s deceased, a farmer named Morero Phillips. He deposed that his brother, the deceased man Kaupeka Piripi was born on May 17 in the year 1878. He was, witness continued, a married man and resided with his wife and family at Mokau. "When did you last see your brother alive?" "I last saw him alive on Thursday, the 27th of May. He was in good health at that time, and told me he w«E going to Whangarei on the following day. I did not see him upon his return from Whangarei on Sunday, May 30. I later saw his body at ■his house and identified it. I also saw a double-barreled gun lying on th e bed at back of deceased, which I idntified, as his own gun. I first heard of my brother's death on Monday morning the 31st of May. L then came to view the body. I first saw the accused after I heard about it when he came over to my house. I met him as I was leaving to go to the home of the deceased. When I saw accused he told m e he had had some trouble with his uncle. He said h e had a squabble and the deceased struck him first, then got him toy the throat, and during the struggle and when he was trying to release his throat from the grip of the deceased, he heard the report of a gun go off. :When he released himself from the grip on his throat, he, the accused, cleared out.

Witness could not say where the accused went then, as Peters did not say where he was going. Accused was at th 6 time hatless and without coafcrand boots. Witness invited him to accompany him to see deceased, and h e came. When they arrived they did not say anything to each other but witness noticed that Peters had a black eye and marks on his throat.

"He told me that they had been drinking. He said they got spirited, but not very drunk." Witness said he saw the gun when at that time, and th e gun in court (a double-barreled shot gun) was the same It belonged to deceased. The gun was usually kept in the room where the body was found

To Mr Stout: "I met the accused coming from the farm paddock. First I went to catch my horse. Coming in from that I met accused. I had not then seen deceased, but I had heard from a European that he was dead. After the accused had told of the squabble the night before, witness then told him (the accused) that his uncl c was dead. PREPARATION OF PLANS Henry Highet ,a draughtsman employed by the Public Works Department at Whangarei deposed that he accompanied Senr.-Sergt. Hollis and Constable Paine on the 3rd June to Mokau and was shown the deceased's house. He then measured up the house in order to prepare plans, the originals of which were submitted With finished plans to scale, exhibits B and C. Witness then described

'entering the house and taking meas-

urements, certifying to the accuracy V6f the plans and the details described.

The Magistrate said, bef or e witness left th e stand > that he would like t0 congratulate him upon the plans he had put in. They wer e a finished piece of detailed work that it was very refreshing to have before the Court to assist in a matter of this kind.