HUNTLY FATALITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23700, 5 July 1940, Page 5

HUNTLY FATALITY

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE MURDER COUNT REDUCED. ' MAORI BEFORE COURT CASE PARTLY HEARD? [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] HUNTLY. Thursday When the Maori labourer, John Kite, aged 23, appeared before Mr. W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Police Court at Huntly to-day, charged with the murder of ail Indian, Rama* uslial, near Huntly, on May 18, the charge was reduced to one of manslaughter, on the application of the Crown Prose- • cutor, Mr. V. R. Meredith. Much interest was taken in the case by a largo group of Maoris, who filled the public gallery of the courtroom. Tall and swarthy, accused sat throughout the proceedings, each sot of depositions being interpreted for him. He was dressed in a check lumber jacket, open shirt and denim trousers. Accused was represented by Mr. G. Skelton. Ten of the 17 witnesses heard , were Maoris, half of whom testified through an interpreter. Sounds of Quarrel ~ A bus driver, Harry Burton, said deceased was a passenger on liis bus from Himtlv on the night of May 17. He loft the bus alone at the gate leading to his shack on the Waahi Pa Road at" about 11 o'clock. Returning _ at r about 12.4 <3 a.m., witness saw no light in deceased's sliaclc. He saw a man and a woman on the road in the vicinity, and three men left his bus thereabouts.

Awaroa Quiun, married, said she was walking home from Huntlv at about. 1 a.m. on May 18. and while -waiting for a companion who had returned to find r parcel she had dropped she heard mumbling voices, as if people ' were quarrelling, coming from the direction of Khushal's wliare. When witness reached home she was standing on the verandah when, she heard another man's voice. "It isoundedas if he was in difficulty," she said. "I heard the words 'I got none,' spoken in English, and later I heard gaspiug cries of 'Help, help.' " Ory for Help A Maori trucker, Bill Maru, said he returned home from the Renown mine in Burton's bus, accompanied by two other men. He just got inside and was sitting down to supper at about 1 a.m., when he heard a cry for help from the direction of deceased's, hut near by. Witness went outside, but did not hear the cry repeated. Yi

A visit by a number of Maoris to ! her home at the Waahi Pa after the cinema in Huntly on May 17 was described by an elderly Maori woman. Mrs. Tia Wiremu. She said accused left with Martin Brown , and Sam Rehua, but the two latter soon returned. Accused returned alone a good while later, wearing the same clothes._ but appearing drunk and depressed. He and his sister went outside and witness heard accused crying. His sister later persuaded him to go inside. "I heard the bus going along the road after the pictures, and went over to Khushal's place with my wife to see if we could get a drink/' said George Inia. "Rama was just getting.'home, and after we had one drink, Kite. Brown and Rehua arrived, and -we all had more wine. We bought two bottles of wine from Rama, who drank none. We all left, except Kite, and' went, to Mrs. Tia Wircmu's place." Blood Marks on ClothesWitness added that they. were all happy in deceased's shack'. No question about money was raised between deceased and accused. When he saw Kite at the pa on Sunday he noticed blood marks on accused's clothes, which lie had also been wearing during the visit to Khushal's wliare. Accused's cousin, 'Sam Rehua, said it was Kite's suggestion that they should visit Khushal after the pictures to obtain liquor. When accused returned to the pa, some time after the others, he did. not seem to be very., drunk. Next morning witness saw blood on the sleeves of accused's overcoat, accused's explanation being that- he fell on Khushal's doorstep and hit his nose. " Another Maori youth,-Martin Brown, said that when the party left Khwslial's hut he returned to ask deceased to buy him some beer next day.. Kite entered to buy another bottle of wine, >- but deceased said he had none. As wit- * ness was leaving he tried to persuade. Kite to go with him. Kite seemed ~un-c controllable and pushed witness aside.Z saying: "Don't you tackle me." Wit-J ness was frightened of being struck, "' and ran off, leaving Kite behind. _ - "Accused's sister, Kina Kite, said when accused returned about an hourMr after the others lie called her outside. .' He was crying, and told her lie hit tho Indian with his hand because de-' ceased liad kept some of his_ money. She told him it was wrong to hit Rama, and noticed blood on his overcoat sleeve, which she washed for Mm next morning. \ Finding of the Body

Evidence of the finding of KhnshaVs n body beside a swamp near deceased V- . on his father's farm was given by J Maxwell Northmore, farm hand, aged v . 17. "Witness said deceased was frail and unhealthy, and had lived in the district for' about eight years. Sergeant P. Geraghty. of Huntly, said the body was lying 75 yards from the whare. with the face, which dis-_ closed severe injuries, partially submerged in the swamp. Tn deceased's pockets witness found 13s in silver. There was no disorder in the shack, ■which showed no signs of a struggle. At this stage the Court adjourned until to-morrow, when the seven remaining witnesses, including detectives and a pathologist, will give evidence- J