THE CASE OF LOUIS CHEMIS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 913, 30 August 1889, Page 2

THE CASE OF LOUIS CHEMIS.

The papers in connection with the case of Louie Chemis were laid on the table of thq House last night. They include the Judge’e notes of evidence, the 'statement made by prisoner to the Governor, depositions in the Resident Magistrate’s Court, copies of the affidavits forwarded to hisTSxcellency by Mr Jellicoe, and considerable correspondIn the statement to his Excellency, dated 22nd July, the prisoner says that on the day of the murder he left off work at 4.30 p m and proceeded to his home on a cart driven by Lee. He got off the cart opposite his gate; it was then ten minutes to five. A few minutes after he arrived home His wife was milking the cows. He gave them some and after he took his horse on the hill, and after feeding him he washed and cut up a barrelful of mangolds and sent the cows out of the stable. He went into the house to make tea.' It was then past 6 o clock. He got up at 4 evsry morning to milk the cows, and afterward .vent to Kaiwhara to distnbute the milk. It was 6.30 when a man named John Mack told him Hawkings was dead. Chemis then refers to the visit of the detectives on the Saturday afternoon. He states that it was true that there was a-quesfcion between him and the dead man, but it was in the hands of the Judge, and his (Hawking's) death would do him neither good or bad He had many times seen Hawkings going homo beEore he left work, so how could he know if he waspased when he (Chemis) was working near the schools. Chemis then goes on—“ This Thomas Hawkings had quarrels with many others, especially ‘ hunters.’ As soon as he saw one with a gun he called him all the names he knew.’’ He then refers to Benjamin's evidence that he had not seen powder in the chest of drawers, and states that there was half a flask of it He (Benjamin) had also said that he had not seen caps, and there were two boxes. He also alluded to the wad-cutter, which, he says, was near the knife and other things, Beniamin, he states, had seen four quail in the kitchen, but he had denied this. As for the wad-cutter and quail, there was a_blac*. smith in Kaiwhara (Williain Daebl), who bought the wad-cutter for him on the Ist April and the same morning he (Chemis; had killed the quail he was in Daebl’s shop, and had told him about shooting them Chemis concludes “If I was a thief and murderer—as such I have been condemned—the County Council would not have kept me twelve years in their employment. Thank heaven, I am innocent of this murder ; and if your Excellency does not give me grace 1 die contented. The only thing I am sorry for is my family.’’ ... ~ T In the affidavits forwarded hy Mr Jellicoe, *** >i - ___ U n 1 mh QPQ

John Holmes, the younger, of Kaiwhara, states that be was subpoenaed as a witness on behalf of the prosecution at the _trial of Chemis. On the second day of the trial Mr Bell said to him, “ Didn't Chemis tell you that Hawkings wanted to get him out of the gully or off the property ?' and he (tiolmes) replied “No,” and he went on to state that he had asked Chemis tne Saturday before the murder how his case was getting on, and Chemis replied that he thought it was all settled, and be didn t Dunk he would hear any more about it. Mr Bell then sa “Is that all Chemis told you and Holmes renlied “ Yes and then Mr Bell said : “ You may take it from, me I will not call you as a witness, and you are discharged. You will receive pay for two days, and if you come again you will not receive anythin" beyond that sum.' Marv Ann Bowles, of Ngauranga, mother of Mrs Hawkings, states that she remembers the late Thomas Hawkings on one occasion stating to her, in the presence of her husband, that if he “ ever came across my son George Bowles he would shoot him down like a dog.” She states that Hawkings repeated the threats, and that she was summoned as a witness on behalf of Chemis at Hugh Nicol, butcher, of Kaiwhara, states that about 9 o’clook on the morning of the 2nd June (Sunday) he saw Charles Bowles at his employer’s slaughteryard. He was wearing dirty white moleskin trousers, and he noticed it least two blood spots on the front of the right leg of his trousers and one on the left leg. Called Bowles .attention to the stains, and he said that he had been killing sheep. Had not seen himweffing the same trousers since, although he had Se Samue/ r W. McCalium, tanner, of Kaiwhara, also states that ho had observed a blood stain, about 3m long and 2m wide, below the knee on Bowles' trousers, on the

Robert Daebl, blacksmith, Kaiwhara, makes a statement as to the purchase of a wad-cutter, also that on the Wednesday prior to the murder Chemis called at bis Son and told him h? had shot two quaff that morning from his hack door. Was m attendance at the trial, and was prepared to give evidence, but was not called. 8 Mary Ann Holmes states that she saw Chemis, who was carrying a kit and * pick and shovel, go into Gardner’s butcher s shop between 4.30 and 5 o clock on the 31st ‘ May, and he remained m the shop a few minutes. She did not see him leave. Saw him again on the following day, and he was wearing the same clothes as he had on the Pr Edwin G. y Jellicoe makes a long statement as to his connection with the case. He says that on the 2 ,st July he examined the prisoner’s eldest girl, who staged that she remembered her father coming home on the clay previous to the visit of. the_ police ; it was getting dusk. He was carrying a kit and a pick and shovel. She stated that after he had fed the cows lie c«tup of mangolds, after which they had tea, and after tea her father read the newspaper until

about 7 o'clock, when she went to bed. She Baid that .her father had no gun when he came home ; that the gun was in the bedroom, but had been used by her father in the morniDg of the day before, when he shot quail. Jeremiah Buckley, labourer, states that Ghemis never carried a sheath knife, and that he and Chemis brought their lunches wrapped up in newspaper. After they had lunch they threw the paper away. Frederick Greaves, of Kaiwhara, labourer, husband of Mrs Ohemis’ sister, states that he knew that Ghemis kept his gun in the bedroom of his house; also, that he kept a powder flask in the top right-hand corner drawer of a chest of drawers in his (Ghemis 1 ) bedroom. Witness had used some wads from a small tin box, taken out of the same drawer on May 19, and on the same evening had returned the box to .its original place. On the 2nd June witness was at Chemis’ house, and saw quail being prepared for dinner. On the evening of the day on which Chemis was arrested witness was again at Chemis’ house, and examined the contents of the drawer, afterward handed them over to Mr Jellicoe. It then contained a powder flask, box of caps, wad-cutter, box of wads, and revolver cartridges. John Dowd, brother of Mrs Chemis, Btates that he and Chemis worked together on the roads for the past six months, and daring the winter months lunched on the hilltop bo as to get the sun. The lunch was wrapped up ip newspaper, which was sometimes brought back with them and sometimes thrown away. To his knowledge Chemis never carried a sheath-knife. Timothy Dowd, cousin of the previous witness, corroborates the testimony of John Dowd. H. C. Blandford deposes that on the 3lsfc May last he was on the Ngaaranga-road about 9 o’clock at night, and heard a rustling sound in the scrub, as of some one moving about. Mentioned the circumstance to his brother-in-law. On the Friday preceding Chemis’ trial in the Supreme Court, he found in the scrub a pair of boots and what appeared a portion of a pair of false whiskers. Subsequently handed the whiskers to Detective Benjamin and afterward left the boots at the Police Station. Thomas Alfred B. Bailey, clerk to Mr E. G. Jelliooe, makes a statement to the effect that he had been informed by Dr Cahill that any knife with a double edge would have inflicted the incised wounds he found in the body of Hawkings,