CHARGE OF MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21390, 18 July 1931, Page 11

CHARGE OF MURDER

NEWTON STABBING AFFAIR FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD « V (Peb United Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND, July 17. The hearing of the charge against Pahara Rameke Kere, alias George Rameke, of murdering Mrs Gwendoline Johnson, and attempting to murder her daughter, Was resumed in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon. Mr P. K. Hunt, S.M., sitting* as coroner, said he had heard sufficient evidence to conclude the inquest into the death of Mrs Johnson. His finding was: “That Gwendoline Alice Johnson died on June 24 and that the cause of her death was hemorrhage of the lungs following a penerating wound in the right lung caused by George Rameke stabbing her.” ■ Thelma Edith Williams, who lived _in Randolph street, said that on the morning of the tragedy she saw a Maori walking from the direction of France street. He was carrying a small parcel. About five or 10 minutes later she heard someone calling out “murder.” She went-on to the verandah and noticed the man _ she had seen before come out of Mrs Keesing’s front gate. She heard Mrs Keesing call out, ‘‘stop him, he has killed Gwen.” The man was running toward France street. He had no parcel when he came out of the house.

Attracted by the . noise, said .Margaret Marsden, of Randolph street, she ran down the steps and up to Mrs Keesing’s front gate. She saw a man falling down the lower part of the stairs. He staggered out of the front door to the verandah and slipped down the next few steps to the path. She heard Mrs Keesing call out from her balcony, "he has murdered Gwen and has got a knife.” Witness said that as the man passed her he had his left hand raised. There was blood on it. Mr W. Noble (counsel for the defence): Did you see the knife?—No. Did the man you saw run away seem to be drunk or dazed?—l thought he was drunk. Rona Andrew, of Hepburn street, said she had known the accused for about six months. He used to, visit her home. About 9 a.m. on June 24 she was in the kitchen of her home when the accused went into the house. The accused first went into the dining room and then came back to the sink in the kitchen and washed his hands. There was some water in the sink to cool the milk.

Detective Sergeant Kelly: Did you see the water after he had washed his hands? —Yes, there was blood in the water. What happened then?—He went into the dining room and I heard Mrs Murphy talking with him. I looked into Mrs Murphy’s room and saw the accused stapding at the fot of her bed. Afterwards I heard Mrs - Murphy crying. The accused was crying, too. What attracted your attention? —I saw the accused lying on the floor. He was very ill. There was froth coming out of his mouth and he could hardly breathe. I asked Mrs Murphy what was the matter, and she told me that he had killed somebody. Witness said that she and Mrs Murphy put the accused on a couch. A cork which smelt of disinfectant fell out of his pocket. Witness asked the accused whether it was a man or a woman he had killed, and he said, “A woman.” He called witness by name and said: “Remember me to your mother." Witness then went for Dr Lamb, and later the accused was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Kara Murphy, through an interpreter, said that when Raiheka came to her house on June 24 he handed her a letter to send to his father at Tauranga. In reply to a question, he said that a woman was the cause of his trouble. The sum of £24 and also a further sum of £7 had been got out of him, and he thought that he had just cause for giving his life away. Witness said the accused gave her a ring which he took from his finger. She asked him why ho was giving her the ring, and he said: “I am about to die. I have killed someone." Then the accused tell on the floor. There was a smell of poison. The hearing was adjourned.