NO CLUE YET IN NORTHERN MYSTERY

Northern Advocate, 11 June 1936, Page 7

NO CLUE YET IN NORTHERN MYSTERY

End Of Life-and-Death Struggle i

DEATH OF MR. NELSON PUZZLES THE POLICE SCOTLAND YARD TRAINEE JOINS THE INVESTIGATORS

[Special to “Northern Advocate .”o KAIKOHE, This Day. gO far the death of Mr Ernest Severin Nelson, the well-known farmer of the Waihou Valley, aged 55, is a complete mystery, and the police investigators have as yet been unable to find any likely clues.

For the past 36 hours, the police have been investigating every possible avenue, and are now co-ordinating statements obtained from employees on the farm, and also from natives living at the Maori settlement at Rangiahua, about five miles away. There are many aspects, which are very hard to follow, and the police in their inquiries are approaching their investigations from a psychological aspect. Two guns have been taken possession of, but in the absence of any cartridge shell, it is impossible to match the charge. The terrain near where the tragedy occurred is such as to have left no marks. The drive is metalled, and immediately after the murder at least one car and a large number of pedestrians crossed over it.

Search Parties Possible. There is quite an extensive area of fairly long paspalum and some scrub in the vicinity, and it may be necessary later to arrange search parties, mainly with the object of finding the gun or the cartridge shell. Today, four men of the police force were on the case, and the number will be increased to five shortly.

Detective H. C. Murch, who has ,juSt returned to New Zealand after completing a course of training at Scotland Yard, arrived at police headquarters at the Rangiahua Hotel last night to assist in the. investigation.

Mr John Smith, Mr Nelson’s father-in-law, passed along the drive after the crime had been committed without seeing the body. He had visited Mr Nelson to arrange for the loan of a motor Car, and they were gathered round the fire, when, about 7.10 p.m., Mr Nelson left to walk down for the mail. ,Mr Smith left the Nelson home about 7.45 pm. some time after the shot had been heard. Discovery of Body. The moon had hot risen, and there was a fog, and Mr Smith was driving his car. He was on the side furtherest away from where the body was lying, and Mr Nelson was clothed in brown overalls.

Mr Smith went on to Rangiahua, aind later returned with his wife. While Mr Smith stayed in the cap, Mrs Smith walked up the drive with the aid of the torch. It was then that she discovered the body. She rushed

back to the car, and Mr Smith drove up to the house. On the evening of the tragedy, James Hapita, son of the builder who is residing in Mr Nelson’s house, walked tfown the quarter-of-a-mile drive to the letter box, where he collected the evening’s “Advocate.” When he returned his father suggested that jhe should make another trip a little later for the tri-weekly mail. Mr Nelson, however, was in the habit of going for the mail, and soon after 7 o’clock set out to stroll down the drive. Ken Howe, son of the share-milkers, who had visited Nelson’s house to obtain the correct time, was walking back to his parents’ residence in the opposite direction, when he heard the shot, about 7.25 p.m. Mrs Nelson Absent For Day. Mrs Nelson was absent for*'tlTe“cfay, visiting a friend, Mrs Hawiri, of Rangiahua. After the arrival of the police, Mrs Nelson, who had intended staying the night with Mrs Rawiri, was brought home by Mr W. Land, of the Rangiahua Hotel. 1 \

The body was found by the police, and Dr. N. G. McLean lying undisturbed in a dish-shaped declivity on the side of the drive. An examination showed that the charge, which must have been fired at point-blank range from a sporting gun, had entered the back of the left side, and travelled in an upward slant, piercing the heart and lung and # penetrating as far as the second rib on the right hand side.

This is stated to indicate that

the shot had been fired from a

lower plane, probably from a hollow on the opposite side of the drive. Here an assailant could ' have lurked undetected in the darkness behind the cover of a small briar bush, from which, about 10 feet distant, the first splashed of blood were found by the police.

Near here, too, were discovered two parts of a cartridge wad. Death must have been instantaneous, but after receiving the full force of the charge, Mr Nelson, as the blood trail indicates, must have staggered a few paces before falling on his back. A half-smoked cigarette butt was lying on his right shoulder, and in his right hand were clutched the letters. TODAY'S DISCOVERIES Today’s investigations revealed that on May 27, Mr and Mrs Nelson drove to Kaikohe, where Mr Nelson purchased a shotgun from the Kaikohe Progressive Stores. This is confirmed in the record of sales of firearms kept by the firm. The gun, however, was never taken to Mr Nelson’s home, and was left with neighbours further up the valley. Inspector O’Hara was in touch with Wellington this, morning, and further police reinforcements are expected tomorrow.

Inquiries round the locality of the crime have now been almost completed, and from now on the investigation will be extended to cover d wider territory. There are few facilitise for the police, one of the chief difficulties being the shortage of accommodation for further drafts of constables.

No arrest had been made at the time of going to press and unless there is an unexpected development, it is stated that nothing definite is expected within the next two or three days. Well Respected By All. In the pleasantly situated country district, hitherto so free from crime, Mr Nelson, in his 24 years’ residence, was regarded, to quote a former employee, “as one of the straightest men I have met.” He was respected by pakeha and a true friend of the Maori, as instanced by his gifts of firewood, meat and so on to the natives of the locality. For many years, deceased had suffered from acute deafness, and. in order to undergo treatment by a specialist in Auckland, he left the farm for a period, returning in 1932. The treatment, however, did not prove effective, and Mr Nelson was unable to fulfil one of his ambitions — to be able to converse in the native

language. The funeral of Mr Nelson takes place at the Kawakawa Public Cemetery at 2 p.m. tomorrow, and the body is being removed today to the home of a brother, Mr W. S. Nelson. Pakaraka, who for some time lived at Tikipun ga.

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