BACK-BLOCK TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 3475, 19 October 1920, Page 44

BACK-BLOCK TRAGEDY

YOUNG'MAN FATALLY SHOT.

October 15.

A tragedy is reported to have occurred at the oacic-block settlement of Tokirima, 25 miles out, last night. It is stated that a returned soldier named W. Anderson, aged 30 or 40, went to the house of the Loft brothers. lie found Jim Loft, a married man, and his nephew, Fred Telford, at home. The man asked for tea and bread, which Loft got for him. He next asked for an overcoat, and then said: "Are you all at home?" Loft replied "Yes.'' Anderson said: "I will get the two.of you," meaning the Loft brothers. He then, it is alleged, pointed bis rifle at Jim Loft, but Telford, aged 18, interposed and received a charge in his chest, and died in five minutes. The other brother Loft was absent at his farm at Ohura.

Jim Loft rushed through the bedroom and escaped through a window. He swam the Ohura lliver, and walked tore foot through the bush, 16 miles, to the Aukopae boat landing on the Wanganui River, where he is now in bed in a state of collapse. Later news shows that Anderson, who had been discharged from his employment, was not near Lofts' farm for two weeks, but turned up at 7 o'clock last night with a .303 rifle. He opened the kitchen window from outside. After asking for food and an overcoat, he pointed the rifle through the window at Jim Loft. As the gun went off Frank Telfer made a rush, and received a bullet in the heart. In the kitchen were the two Loft brothers, Mrs James Loft, and her four children, Telfer, and a man named Morris, who was installing a milking plant on the farm. Mrs Loft hid the children under the table when the firing started. Jim Loft jumped through a bedroom window, and another shot was heard outside. Jim called to his brother: "I am all right." He then swam the Ohura River, and made barefooted for Aukopae. To-day Anderson secured a further supply of cartridges from settlers, and has sinco been traced by a search party to thick bush near Roache's whare, where the quarry was fired at, but he retreated further into the bush. It is raining hard, and the search partyare having a trying time. ANDERSON SURRENDERS. TAUMARUNUI, October 17. In connection with the Takorima murder Anderson was captured at 2 o'clock this morning at Mr A. Fleming's farm, two miles from the scene of the murder. Last night he went to a Hindu scrubcutter's camp on Craig's farm, half a mile beyond Fleming's. He walked into a tent among four Hindus asking for food, placing his magazine rifle against the' tent. While he partook of a meal a Hindu asked him who he was. He said he was a policeman from Taumarunui. The Hindu said: "I know all the police in the district; you are not one." He then said he was a farmer at Tatu. A Hindu- rushed the rifle, and took charge of, it. Anderson pleaded for it. saying he was done without it, and offered £5 to have it returned. He said he did not want to shoot Hindus, but white men. The Hindus offered to take him to Craig's house, and would return the rifle if the boss was agreeable. Eventually they went to Olliver's, naif a mile away, a Hindu holding Anderson by the sleeve. He asked Olliver if this was the man the police wanted. Olliver went for his spectacles to see, but never returned. They went into Olliver's whare, and while there Anderson drew a knife, and the Hindus ran aWay, taking the rifle with them. The rifle was loaded with eight ball cartridges. Anderson then made for Fleming's, in whose woolshed he had slept on the previous night. He surrendered himself to Mr Fleming at midnight, saying he was "gone." -The police party arrived two hours later, and arrested the man. The party, in charge of Sergeant Miller, arrived at Taumarunui at 3 p.m. on Sunday with the accused handcuffed, roped, and strapped to the saddle of the horse. The party had been eight hours on the way, with a stop of two hours and a-half. The roads were very bad. Anderson had not gone far from the scene of the murder, but had watched all that was going on from the bush, even listening to the conversation of search parties on the roads. He was very cool and collected throughout the journev, and faced, the crowd at Taumarunui with perfect calm. Accused will be brought before the court on Monday, and the inquest continued. Accused's parents reside at Auckland.