ONEWHERO MURDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15930, 29 May 1915, Page 4

ONEWHERO MURDERS.

NORMAN KEALS ON TRIAL,

QUESTION OF -SANITY. v

EXPERT A MEDICAL ;' VIEWS.

ACCUSED "LEGALLY SANE."

The trial of Norman Edwin Keals on the double charge of murder in connection with what is known as Ih-J Onewhero tragedy, which took place in February last, was commenced at the Auckland Supreme Court yesterday morning, before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, and a.jury, of which Mr. Ernest H. Davis is foreman, the Crown Solicitor, the Hon. J. A. Tole, is conducting the prosacution, whilst Mr. J. C. Martin and with him Mr. J. B. Johnson are appearing for the defence. The accused is charged, firstly, with having, at West Opuatia, near Onewhero, about February 8 last, murdered Edith Emma Keals (his brother's wife); and., secondly, with having,' at the same place, between February 8 and 10, murdered the infant malo child of Leslie and Edith Emma Keals. The accused, who was well and carefully dressed, and who appeared to 'be in the best of health, pleaded not guilty in a distinct, clear voice. Throughout the day, standing with his hands thrust nonchalently into his coat pockets, he appeared to follow the case,' and particularly the address, of his counsel" to the jury, with close attention, but he was quite composed and to all appearances, entirely oblivious to the .gravity of bis position. »: ■■. >, '* Story ot tie Crime./,' The story of the tragedy was,' narrated in full in the HeraM) in February last. Mr. Leslie Keals, with his wife and three children and a lady-help and a cadet, resided on an isolated farm known as Glencairn, at, Opuatia, seven or eight miles from Onewhero. On Monday, February 8, Mr. Leslie Reals had; occasion to leave home. Early on ~ the following morning his wife was found to have been violently assaulted during the night} having been wounded in the head by a revolver shot, whilst other injuries had" been inflicted, apparently with a thick piece- of wood in the form of a rough club. Mrs.; Keals's infant, only.; a few weeks old, which .-she had taken to bed with her, was missing. Mrs, Keals was brought to the Auckland Hospital, where she died. When the crime was committed the '. residents of tb« surrounding district joined the police in a search for the accused, who is a brother to Leslie Keals. Suspicion had ;' been •directed to accused by the -fact j that he was'missing. ■ The accused kept in hiding, but on February 12 he was found and arrested. Ho then made a written confession,: in which he admitted murdering I his ;■ sister-in-law' and her baby. ~ He '•; indicated; the * spot where he had hidden-'the .infant's body, and it was duly found there. .j \ ■ 7 Accused's •„-'■Past'. Record. / .■ ';"/: .The first witness called was Kobert William Keals, father of- accused. Part .of his evidence related to 'the farm at Opua'' tia, known as Glencairn, which witness sold to his son; Leslie a year or two ago, but which ie originally proposed to ,bo divided between his three ;j sons, Leslie,: George, and accused. * The accused's lack: of interest ' in-the farm J had given him! cause' for dissatisfaction, but he never ' pro-; posed to deprive 1 him of his share 'of the value of the farm. ''; s t '' *v \ In cross-examination, .witness • gave' particulars of the accused's peculiarities. Accused teemed to have.a erase in regard to religious matters, and. was always talk* ing about going to Egypt as a' missionary. Subsequently, accused stolo a horse and gig at Penrose, and on conviction was released on probation, Later on witness sent accused to the Great Barrier* Island, but his conduct there was' not satisfactory. % After, this ho stole some firearms, etc.) and was sentenced to 18:' months' " imprisonment. He afterwards . went to Sydney, where ho committed •an .offence, and "served a term of imprisonment. '4 After ■"• his h return accused lived with witness at Papakura from May, 1914, till February last.;> His : conduct during this period was satisfactory, i and nothing'mora irrational occurred until the tragedy'took place. - ' '■/,.,"

Accused Belates Strange .Dreams.- ,'

The witness ' said that whilst : his '-■ son I was • in the Jiathurst gaol in 7 February, 1914, he- (witness) received ; the following, letter irom him :— -' , ; • . ■ ■ .'- i "Dear Mother and Father.'—-have come, to the conclusion that it is time to say '1 will arise and go to my Father, | and ' will say 1 unto Him, Father, • I have-: sinned against heaven and in ? Thy sight, and am no more worthy to' called Thy son.'; ( Make', my bungalow . for me at Glencairn. Well, I have been having Some dreams lately, and no mistake. The night before last I thought I saw an angel sitting on my window sill, and, of course, being } a little afraid of burglars, ; I up out-of bed and said, '.What do 5 you want, old i chap? 'Oh,' ;he says, 'don't think Ido things like you used to do,, but seeing ■ you have altered your course few points, : and seem inclined to steep clear of all dangerous obstacles ■in .the future, and I keeping a. good look out I just came along ! to see if you would care to go back lto New Zealand by first-class saloon 'aeroplane, or whether you -Would 1 care '? to go back steerage by the Wimmera,' 'Well, thanks,' I,said, 'I am not particular so long as I get there, but just by way of a change I wouldn't mind going by first-class saloon aeroplane! J ; • >'-':-'••■ ' - v "Well, another night I thought I Baw nothing but fowls roostintr 1 on- mv hammock. A fine lot of crossbred kiwis, and tho poster, was "'& purebred 1 moa. ; There wer« eggs everywhere, and I was saying. to myself 'there's eggs'for breakfast "> in the morning, anyway.'. I did really think of saying. ' Mav tlio Lord make me tally thankful for what, I am about to receive that, morning,' but I can tell you I* Was disappointed When woke up. ■; •"-'■k;-; -v?; , "A few nights before that I thought l' saw nothing but cows, then 1 \ began thinking about.those blessed ': cows. > The first thing that flashed across my mind was 'did I set the alarm clock for 4 a.m.?' I really thought V. was at Papakura, and I was thinking of the respectable hours we-used to keep at Bathurst. Then I jaw a tnp driving ■■ along the Maugcre- Road with- old Lucy. in the shafts and Tumberumba in the lead. Well ■ I thought there was a bright side to dairying after all, so I woke up and said 'I wish I was at Papakura. How, long does it take to get to the factory in the.aeroplane! I guess the milk gets a bit sky blue when you : bump up against a rain cloud. You cannot send the- Weekly Wews, but I guess there are no objections to sending, that other half of the return ticket. i So. now my amiable and .loving Ma and Pa, I must make my final 'bow? wow from Noo South. .With love to all.-Your loving ron; Norman E. Keals.'.' \ The production of the letter appeared to afford some amusement to accused who repeatedly smiled as? it was being read. . r -\;':fr:' : ?'V'-. u-- <-\s>;.a-~,.

' ;- ;■■... Request j- for Forgiveness;;: ' % Leslie William Reals, husband of the murdered woman; stated that he saw accused at the police station' after the .tragedy. The latter- eaid ; - heads'- sorry for what he had done, and asked witness »■ forgiveness. -Witness: saki? that he would forgive him, but that it was not for him to judge. •■ Accused also said something f about being doue out -of his share of • the . Glencairn ' property:*, - C-; Sub-Inspector Mdlvewy, who arrested the- accused, stated that * the latter was quite cool and collected at the time.l Accused • after; being repeatedly cautioned ; by ' witness in the usual say, made aeonfessioa regarding; the ; murders. This' was' taken W.; by-witness, and after being' readme accused was signed, by the latter ; In ; the statement, accused stated that ha

went ' to : the, farm ." under, great provocalion " ''with r the '< intention of lulling his; brother 'and I "them all." ;: -When; he heard "■ I whilst in '. gaol in Australia that he had lost' his 6hare of the farm he made up his mind to have his revenge. ; . ' . ■?;)■■ A ! largo number of other witnesses gave evidence fin'; regard to the discovery of the crime and the arrest "of accused. They were not cross-examined. .. Question of Accused's Sanity. Mr. .Martin, in opening the 'case for the defence, said that 'theft.-was no denial of the main facte of the case as they lad been put before the Court. The prosecution had been conducted in a perfectly fair manner and the police officers had also acted with absolute fairness. 'I he real question that the jury had \o <wsider was the state of the accused'* n-nd when he committed the offence. Charles Howell Grut, of Orewa, .dated that in February, 1905, when accused was staying at Orewa he suddenly disappeared. A search proved fruitless, but next morning accused came to witness*! room wet through and threw himself weeping on , witness's shoulder. H. : appeared to have been crawling through wire fences, and he said he had eventually found himself, on the lawn. Accused could give no'account of where ho had Alexander McL'eod, farmer of 'likerangi, said that accused was in his employ in 1911 His conduct was satisfactory for about five weeks'/ but he then disappeared. Once, after about two days, a note from '. accused was found on the gate, and in this' he stated that he was tired of life, arid intended to end it. When witness afterwards saw him he appeared to be silly, and. would not say when* lie had been'. It was subsequently discovered that he had been hiding under the hay in the barn.. \ " Detective de Norville stated that in July, 1908,, he had occasion, in company with Detective Mcllvenoy, to investigate a . Matter in connection with the accused. The latter then appeared to be strange in hisi manner, and they warned his father to keep a watch upon him.

Evidence of Medical Men. Dr. W. 17. Parkes said that he met. theaccrsed at Orewa on ,the occasion of the tetter's temporary disappearance. Accused then appeared to be quite .incapable of looking; after himself. Dr. Tracy Inglis said that in June, 1903, he attended accused at his" father's request. Accused was in a nervous condition, and witness warned his father that lie might possibly ■become insane, and that he needad careful treatment. .Be then appeared to be commencing infinity, and to have a tendency to religious mania.

/ Case of "Mental Deficiency."

Dr. R. M. ; Beatlie, superintendent of '/M the Auckland Mental Hospital, said that, lie had stm accused on. several • occasions. ..7'.'7 V He first saw him : six. or seven years ago, when he concluded that .ho was a mental' *M defective, and that he was addicted to a "k certain habit, and had been so. since he v- <j '■ was about 14 years of age.: He considered « ; that; he was so ..-onsiituted to "ho fcj \$ menace-to society.7} This mental derange- ; ■':■;; ment was likely;. to increase, unless the : lh; habit. referred 'to 7 was .discontinued, but .7?-f? not necessarily .so otherwise. He con- -.77 sidered that the case was a congenital one/V: which .'might be ■• improved by education. -;iM Witness:then advised accused's father to hftye him: committed j to"" a mental hospital.. ; l .'';| Witness next- saw accused •on the wharf, about ' eighteen months ago, on his return 7 '7| from Sydney.W He did not then examine, him, but from a report that ho received X$M from his brother he concluded that he! X?'. had . not ,'• improved 7 Witness examined •. . accused .after the Onewhevo tragedy. He :■*• then found no reasou to alte* his previous " opinion that accused'was: meat-ally* de- 77J; ficient, especially in a moral sense His; Honor i.7 ; If a "in andean, plot and 7:7 arrange 'things,' would -you t say that- he *7f> knows that he is doing wrong? , ''j .: Witness: I think tin's- man didikiow that he T was doing wrong, but that he did . : r not' have the , same appreciation of .wrong- .i'''jh doing that a man in it normally mental i*, state would have. ;> "7' .-'.'' : ' .-77, « ~:-•; ;-.v- .n-fjya • ;• "No-"' Remorse '■. Whatever." :;;s ; ?v7^;^->7;:^t^ ■'r.f^'-Ki.<:\: < .:-ry''. ' Mr. Martin: Do you think that he row ' appreciates the seriousness of his positim? 7R; Witness:7^l(dq;not- think he does. He\* - seems to have no remorse whatever. * '7-7 7His Honor:, There ar'o' many criminals t« ■like that. v ' /*.=?, ■»'-';-7'•-" \ v_,. v. • : j- : 7 Witness: Yes, Your Honor, but in addition to that he does not seem to appreciate ■" ■-■": the fact , that, he is : liable to punishment. 't. He. led me to infer that he considered that '- ; when the trial was over he would-be at liberty.. ,Ha asked : me. in i a letter whether, v ? after it was "all over" certain -opera- i ."' tion could bo performed to .prevent him ' " getting into trouble again. , • , His Honor: You put it this \ve,y ; Rat ■■-<& he lias no moral sense, bat that ho has some intellectual ability. - » : Witness : : That is so, Your Honor. ' <•' j 1 --'-*. ;: -'v.-: .■■'/•' , . -•■ -;:; ; ''' - v : '--" ! ' . The Letter Front Bsthurst. - . ?* -In reply to Mr. Martin, the witness * '"' stated' that he. diti not regard the letter" >-V ¥ nt from Bathurst gaol as that of a sane ' "- man.', •,; '" ,'.''■- >> *-, ■ His Honor: But he put it in the form' Of a i dream. He does not say that ho actually saw these things, as many insane ■ people do. . , >" , •- Witness said that he quite understood .'.. with 1? th ? n id , not altsr his -™ ion - '-7 With an unstable brain there were occa- -- sional irrational outbursts, and 'the ten- ' dency towards, these: was increased -by the Tni, W,UC I accused . had bcenaddickd - J n such a case the appreciation- of right and " - wrong was greatly reduced. He was fuljv mnced,tha^tho'mrin>« cong e fifc a n» mentallvdefectne. - . -- To His Honor: I fully admit that the 'V man knew he had done wrong in M2; t ': 7 r 7 , He-;to legally Sane." '•• : ; V ; 7 ■:_a '■'"-■',■- ' > ''-- ■:■'-< ■'■•;■■• i\.-, =■"••' '■-■■•■ -v-.'r-;s.'. Mr 7 T! " Your deliberate opinion, ~ I >J>? understand, .is that- the man is moral!* 7 ?J defective. butt a ,T J o'clock thi a S irornuig. --: His ; Honor,' informed the iurv '*M buftt fcllif a]ioW ®& to dfapfij