TINSLEY INDICTMENT

Northern Advocate, 15 June 1931, Page 4

TINSLEY INDICTMENT

THE SLAYING OF CHHIBA. PROFOUND MYSTERY. (Special to “Northern Advocate. ,, ) HAWERA, This Dpy. Early next month Walter Tinsley will appear in the Hawera Police Court for the preliminary hearing of tho charge against him of murdering Nana Chhiba, a Hindu fruiterer. It is expected that the story of the police investigations will do much to clear this five-months-old mystery, which has aroused more than usual public interest. When Chhiba's shop was visited by tho police on tho night of February 1, the Hindu was found lying in a pool of blood with his head battered. Apparently no clue had been left by his mur derer, and months dragged by until the shocking crime had been almost forgotten. Then came the arrest of Tinsley at Masterton. Tho circumstances leading to the discovery of the tragedy were unusual. A woman who visited the shop on the Sunday evening saw something lying huddled on the floor of the back room with blood round it. Although her family were inclined to make light of tho incident, she told her solicitors, who happened to act for Chhiba also. The story was handed on to "the police and a visit was paid to the building. Everything was apparently in order. There was a light in the back room, tho door of which was closed and would not open. Later in the evening the police again visited the shop premises, and entered it, to find the corpse of Chhiba, who had apparently been ■ killed not less than eight to ten hours before.

The strange part of the woman’s story, as she told it to the “Star’s” correspondent at the time, was that tho door, which was slightly open aii «ho came across tho yard, and through which she saw the indistinct heap on the floor, slammed violently in her face as she turned to go. The door is not fitted with a spring. The weapon used was either a hammer or a tomahawk. Both were found in a basin of water. There were black hairs and stains on the head of tho hammer. The shop till was rifled. Some days later a sum of money was found concealed in the shop. Detectives Meiklejohn and Quirke were engaged on the case. While they stayed in Hawera they were boarding at the same hotel as Tinsley, who left Hawera not long before he was apprehended at Masterton. While the police have made no disclosures as to the line their investingations took, it is understood that bloodstains played a prominent part. Mr P. O’Dea, of Hawera, will appear for Tinslov.