MURDER CHARGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22099, 3 May 1935, Page 12

MURDER CHARGE

DEATH OF MAORI evidence for prosecution BLOWS FOLLOW ARGUMENT ACCUSED SENT FOR TRIAL [BY TELEGRAPH —I'JIKSS ASSOCIATION] TIAWERA, Thursday A Maori, Jack Ngapaki, aged 53, was charged in the Patea Magistrate's Court to-day with the murder of Sam Hauora, liia brother-in-law, a Maori aged 50, at Opaku on March 25. Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M., was on the Bench. Mr. N. 11. Bain conducted the prosecution, and Mr. T. Roberts appeared for accused. Constable Kelly gave evidence that he found deceased fully clothed in the yard of the farm on which he and Ngapaki resided. Alongside the body was a hardwood stick with which the wounds on the head had apparently been inflicted. The only person in the liouso was accused. When asked what happened, accused said: "I killed him." Accused,, also said that Hauora came homo swearing, growling and talking roughly. Accused told him to get out, and when deceased was going to got rough again accused hit him on tli« forehead with a stick, striking him several times after he fell to the ground. Witness said he then arrested accused. When charged accused said: "It was Sam's fault." Accused was quite sober and rational. Dr. W. T. Simmonds, of Patea, corroborated tho evidence of statements made by accused to the constable. Accused appeared to bo quite collected and normal. In company with Dr. G. J. Adams, witness conducted a postmortem examination. Hauora's death was due to concussion following a cerebral hemorrhage, together with a fracture of the skull.

Turoa Hauora, a son of deceased, said be heard from the door of the cowshed an argument between accused and deceased. Witness plainly heard accused say: "I will kill you." These were the only words ho could hear, although both men were speaking at tho top of thoir voices. Witness did not hear what his father was saying as accused spoke the louder, 'iho argument continued for about five minutes. Then witness started toward the house. When he was about halfway there, witness said, he heard a knocking or something bumping against wood. He saw accused standing by a fireplace outside, it being fairly dark. Accused called out, "Tu., I killed Sam to get him out of the road." For some- years accused and deceased had been in the habit of quarrelling, although sometimes they were quite friendly. Hie last argument witness heard was about a year ago. On that occasion accused had said he would kill Sam if he did not get off the property. This statement had been frequently repeated by accused, and witness recalled two other occasions when the threat was made. Accused was committed to tho Supreme Court at Wanganui for trial. Tho inquest was held in conjunction with the Court proceedings. Mr. E. F. Hemingwav. coroner, returned a finding in accordance with the medical evidence that death was the result of cerebral hemorrhage, concussion and a fracture of the skull from blows inflicted by J ark Ngapaki.