MURDER INQUIRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22447, 17 June 1936, Page 14

MURDER INQUIRY

SHOOTING OF FARMER MAORI INVESTIGATION MANY STATEMENTS TAKEN HELP GIVEN TO POLICE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] i KAIKOHE, Tuesday The investigation into the murder of Mr. Ernest Severin Nelson on his farm at Waihou Valley, North Auckland, last Tuesday evening, is now receiving the organised .assistance of the Maoris of the district. Tho leading Maoris, at tho invitation of tho police, decided that an inquiry into tho murder should bo held by the Hokianga District Maori Council with a view, if possible, to sheeting tho crime homo to tho guilty person or persons if they were members of tho native race, or to obtaining evidence that would enable the police to conduct their own investigations to a successful issue. The council in turn appointed a special committee "to call together all those Maoris who would be likely to furnish information that might give a clue to the perpetrator of the crimo, or to any person who could, oven in the most remote way, bo brought under suspicion. Committee Takes Evidence A meeting of this committee was held to-day in the house of Mr. J. Heperi, a Mormon elder who is hold in the very highest esteem by Maoris and Europeans. The members of the committee were Messrs. F. Heperi, chairman of tho Hokianga District Maori Council, J. Heperi, P. Muriwai, P. Kingi', N. Anderson and Moa Harris. The sitting commenced at 10 o'clock this morning and was not concluded . until after seven o'clock this evening. The room in which the committee met was securely locked and admission was only obtained by Maoris when called to give evidence. The Maoris were examined one at a time, after which they were allowed to return to the room set aside for those gathered at the house to give information. The statements were made and recorded in the Maori language, but at the termination of ithe meeting were translated into English. They will be passed on to the police. "No- Definite Decision" The utmost thoroughness was observed; fcs was evidenced by the fact that only one person was interviewed at a time, while others were recalled a second, time when a point of importance was in doubt. The council sat continuously, . without even delaying for refreshments. At the conclusion of the meeting the chairman, Mr. F. Heperi, said the committtee could not reach any definite decisionon the statements submitted, ■which were in some cases contradictory. In other cases they contained, assertions that had to be verified. Broadly speaking, however, the statements could be divided into two sorts, those disclaiming any knowledge of the crime or of a any person connected with it, and thoso which seemed to infer that the disclaiming parties had possibly not diyulged all they might. 'Search lor Cartridge

It is now a week since the crime was committed and, with the police numbers now well supplemented by detectives and constables, the proceedings have reached a stage when every possible channel of investigation appears to have been completed. The inquiry has included a house-to-house canvass for information and, in addition, the area surrounding the spot where the body was found, has been searched and re-searched with a view to finding the most important link in the mystery, the empty cartridge shell. Police officers to-day took measurements from the farm gate to the spot where the body was found, and- also from the briar bush whence the shot is supposed to have been fired. So thoroughly have the police carried out their search for information that this line has almost come to an end, and they are now checking all information received. It is expected that additional detectives may yet be assigned to the case, owing to the unusual difficulties that have arisen.