IS CHEMIS GUILTY?

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 37

IS CHEMIS GUILTY ?

HAREFOItD NOW IN SYDNEY CONFESSES TO THE MURDER OF HAWKINGS.

Sydney, May 10. Ono of the Sydney evening papers continues to exploit Ilareforcl’s confession of murder in the Wellington district. Tho true name of Ilarcford is alleged to bo Samuel Trudgeon, aged 22, a native of Christchurch, who some time back while in custody at Greytown North on a charge of horse stealing broke out of his cell, and, taking tho constable’s horse, rode to Lower Hutt, eight miles from Wellington, whero ho sold tho animal. Then ho eluded tho vigilance of the Wellington police, and escaped. He is credited with stating that, being ponniloss and destitute, he called on Hawkings, who was murdered on tho hills between Kaiwarra and Ngahauranga, and asked for something to eat. Hawkings gave him work at Gs per week. A quarrel subsequently aroso, and Hawkings struck him across tho face with a stick. Ilarcford adds that ho loft his situation, and determined to havo revenge. With this view ho sought and obtained

work in Wellington, and when ho had saved a sufficient sum of money ho bought a gun. Then, ho says, one dark Saturday night he went into ambush on Hawkings’ farm and shot him. The paper concludes, “ Whether Hareford is murderer or liar, is for the police to determine.”

[Hawkins was murdered on a Friday night,]

THE STORY OF THE MURDER

The murder of Hawkings, and the trial of Louis Chemis, who is now undergoing a life sentence for the crime, caused intense excitement not only in Wellington, but throughout the Colony. A FEROCIOUS CRIME. Hawkings was murdered on the night of the 31st of May, 1881), and when the postmortem examination was made ; t was ascertained that he had been done to death in a most atrocious manner and with a ferocity almost singular, it was found that two shots had been fired at tho deceased — ono when the muzzle could only have been a few yards away. This charge, which consisted of shot, had entered his shoulders. There was also a bruise on tho left side, and as there was a corresponding tear in the deceased’s vest it was assumed that a bullet had been fired at the deceased from someone in front of him, but the bullet had struck a knife in his vest pocket, and was thus prevented from entering his body. A further examination of the body showed how ferocious had been the attack. There were no fewer than 21 stabs, which had evidently been made with a strong instrument driven with great force. It was, of course, the general opinion that death resulted from these wounds, and not tho gunshot wound. It is strange that the man who now confesses that ho is the murderer should have omitted to make any mention of the scabbing.

THE THEORY OF THE CRIME. It Was supposed that the murderer had waited amongst the gorse for Hawkings on the fatal night, and had fired at him as he was leading his horse up the road. This shot the bullet struck Mr Hawkings as mentioned above, and it is surmised that ho then turned and tried to run down the hill to Messrs Cate and Dimock’s. His murderer evidently followed him, and fired the second charge at close quarters, which struck him in the shoulders. Tho unfortunate man must have fallen with his faco downward, and the murderer then finished his work, stabbing his victim time after time in the neck and shoulders. The deceased carried very little money with him, but the amount whatever it was was gone, also his pocket-book and paper*, and they have never since been discovered. At the time SUSPICION FELD ON LOUIS CHEMIS, who was working on the Ilutt road. Mrs Hawkings at the Coroner’s inquest stated that her husband had been threatened by Chemis. She had never heard her husband speak of anyone else having threatened him except Chemis. He was, she stated, on good terms with everyone else. On the following Wednesday, after the discovery of the murder, Chemis, who was working on the roads near Kaiwarra, was arrested for the murder. Ho showed no confusion and when tho warrant was read over to him lie remarked “ It’s all right; I’ll go. I shan’t be there long, it’s a pack of d d lies.” Chemis was well known in and around Kaiwarra, and appeared to be generally liked, and looked upon as a sober and industrious man.

Many people doubted Chemis’ guilt, and they still firmly believe in bis innocence. At the time the murder created tremendous excitement. There wereall kinds of rumours. One was that a man was driving a cart along tho ioad before Mr Hawkings passed on Friday night, when a person jumped out from the bank at the side and looked anxiously in his faco. The story was published at tho time, but nothing more was heard of the matter.

At tho trial of Chemis, the main fact relied upon by the Crown was that several fragments of copies of a newspaper wore found in the gunshot wound in Hawkings’ back, which it was shown fitted with a portion of the same issuo (May 23rd). Tho piece which had been torn off was a corner of the shipping column. On one of tho pieces was the word “ Rotorua ” (U.S.S. Co.’s steamer), followed by part of the letter “ f,” while tho remainder of tho letter, and of tho word “ from,” was contained in another piece, both taken from tho body. Pieces of the issuo of the paper of the 17th November were found at the scene of tho murder, and in Chemis’ house, but they did not fit. Other matters relied on by the prosecution were that when the deceased left for town on the morning of the 31st May he had a number of papers in his pocket which, it was contended, would be to tho accused’s advantage to obtain possession of; that the accused after leaving his work on the night of the murder would have had time to reach the spot where the murder was committed; that a gun, which had recently been fired off, and a stiletto, were found in accused’s house. As to motive, it was pointed out that Hawkings and Chemis had not been on friendly terms, and that a law suit was pending, and evidence was given at tho trial by John Tucker, a labouring man, whoso evidence was procured after tho trial had begun, that Chemis had threatened Hawkings. The trial was concluded on Monday, 15th July, tho jury, after four hours and ten minutes’ deliberation, leturning a verdict of guilty, and tho prisoner was sentenced to death. As is well remembore 1, this sentence was afterwards commuted to imprisonment for life, and Chemis is now undergoing that sentence. In connection with the case proceedings were taken against Inspector Thomson and Detectivo Benjamin for alleged perjury, but tho charges were dismissed. AN IMPORTANT AFFIDAVIT. Henry Croftou Blunford, who made an affidavit ‘ for tho at tho time, said lie was taking tho last bond in tho road on the 31st May, about 9 o’clock in tho evening. Ho heard a rustling in the scrub. He stopped and listened ; it was a calm night. Tho noise was away up in the scrub, and it was tho sound of something or someone moving about. He heard of the murder of Thomas Hawkings next day. A few days afterwards ho went up to the scene of the murder, and he knew there was a track near there, lmt lie did not know where it led to. lie followed it up, and found it led to the scene of the murder. He mentioned about the noise to his brother-in-law, and wondered if there was anything in it. THE IDENTITY OF TRUDGEON. Samuel Trudgeon, whom Hareford is supposed to be, was born in Sydenham about 22 years ago, and was for some time in an industrial school. Ho had been convicted several times of larceny. Ho was sentenced at Wellington in November, 1889, on two charges of larceny, to a month on each charge, the sentences to be cumulative. There is no record of any conviction against him during the earlier part of that year. Ho gained some notoriety in the Wairarapa district by escaping from the Groytown lock-up on the night of May 24th, 1894. Ho had been brought down from Pahiatua on tho previous day in charge of a constable, and was to have appeared at the Magistrate’s Court on tho 25th on a charge of horse stealing. Tho police lock-up was a small building situated immediately at the rear of the police station, ono of the colls of which was occupied by Trudgeon, who went then under the alias of Barker. Trudgeon had been searched by tho constable before being locked up, SO havo had

up was visited during tho night by tho constable. "When tho cell was again visited in tho morning it was found that Trudgeon had torn off a piece of board to tho left of the doorway, evidently by means of somo iron instrument, and by this aperture, which was rather a small one, HE MADE HIS ESCAPE. On getting out of tho lock-up‘Trudgeon wont to tho stable situated at the rear of tho lock-up, broke open the door, and stole the constable’s horse and saddle, leaving tho horse ho was accused of stealing behind him. .On tho same morning lie sold the horse to a man at tho Ilutt for -£7, receiving <£ !• down and promising to call for the remainder. The buyer of the animal suspected that something was wrong and informed the police about it. It was supposed that Trudgeon had got away to Sydney by the Wakafipu, which sailed for Sydney that day, as a man answering to his description borrowed a boat from a waterman about noon and did not return it. It was afterwards found near tho Destructor. Nothing had been heard of Trudgeon in New Zealand since then.

Trudgeon is described as a pleasantfaced, intelligent-looking young fellow, in appearance tho opposite of the typical lawbreaker. As Trudgeon is now about 22 years of age, lie could have been only 15 at the time of tho murder.

The Wellington police think that if tho Sydney prisoner is Trudgeon, lie has made tho confession to create a sensation and gain notoriety, MRS HAWKINGS INTERVIEWED. A representative of tho Mail on Sunday called on Mrs Hawkings, widow of tho murdered man, and enquired if she knew if there had been a man named Hareford in her husband’s employment prior to tho murder. She replied that she did not remember any man of that name being employed by her husband. There was a lad named Marsdeu in his employment up to tho end of tho preceding February, and about tho time of the murder a man named Norman. These were tho only names of employees which she could find in a memorandum book of tho time. She admitted, however, that if a casual hand, employed only for a few days, had been working on tho farm his name would not appear in the book. As far as her memory served her, she could not call to mind that any casual hand was working there immediately prior to tho murder. Sho did not think that any man named Trudgeon worked for her husband. WHAT MRS CHEMIS SAYS. Mrs Chemis, in reply to a Mail representative, stated on Sunday that a boy who worked for Hawkings had stated to her husband bis intention of “doing for” Hawkings when lie became a man, on account of tho ill-treatment he received

from liia employer. She did not know tho name of this lad. Mrs Chemis further stated that she did not know of anyone named Harewood or 'Trudgeon working for Hawkings, but, sho adds, she knew very few of the people in the district. A LETTER FROM TRUDGEON’S MOTHER. With reference to tho above, tho following letter has been published by the N.Z. Times: — Sin,—Allow mo to contradict the statement in your paper this morning in regard to Samuel Trudgeon. Ho was never employed by Mr Hawkings, and bis ago is only 21 years yesterday, tho 17th, so that at the time of Mr Hawkings’ death ho would only be 14 years of age, and, besides, he was in tho Burnham Industrial School at the time. I think it is higlitimosuch bogus insertions should be discontinued, for it cannot do any good for either side.—l am, your humble servant, the mother of Samuel Trudgeon, Eliza Trudgeon.

The Wellington police are pretty confident that the man in custody in Sydney under the liamo of Hareford is Samuel Trudgeon. Their records show that ho had been committed to Burnham Industrial School on the 26th of February, 1889, and this goes to prove that ho was in that institution at tho time of tho murder.