MAROHEMO TRAGEDY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15447, 16 February 1921, Page 7

MAROHEMO TRAGEDY.

VERDICT OP MANSLAUGHTER. RECOMMENDATION TO MERCY. AUCKLAND, last night. The second murder charge in the criminal sessions calendar was taken today before his Honor Mr. Justice Stringer and a jury, at the Supreme Court, when Thomas Needham, an elderly farmer, was tried for the alleged murder of his son, William Rawlins Need ham, aged 17, on January 16. Mr. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for the Crown, and the defence was conducted by Mr. Endean and Mr. Huband. A plea of not guilty was tendered. Mr. Meredith said the accused made a savage attack on the lad, practically haltering his skull to bits. The tragedy took place on accused's farm at Marohemo, at which there were living accused, his wife, two daughters, the deceased son, and a lady visitor. Counsel said that after the attack accused asked one of his daughters to shoot him. _ Later he .cut his thi'oat and jumped into a well. He climbed out again and a neighbor persuaded him to go to bed. "P>illie swore at me," was the statement Need ham afterwards made to his daughter, when she asked why he had made the attack, continued counsel. Then accused added, "I am sorry, girl, that I have brought you to this. Give me .some poison." Winifred 'Edna Needharn, 20 years of ago, said that during milking on the morning of tlie occurrence, her father, the accused, exclaimed to her brother. "you little b , we won't get finished this morning. You are a lot of s." Later when her father and her brother were in the separating room, she suddenly heard the accused shout, "Down you' . I have got you at lust/' and lie shrieked and yelled and hissed. Witness rushed in, and saw her brother on the floor with a gash on his head, and her father striking him with a long weapon. Witness yelled, until those in the house heard. She returned to the separating room, where she saw her brother's head had been battered about. Her father had gone out, and she put her apron under the boy's head, as lie was still breathing. Accused wept during part of his daughter's evidence. Cross-examined, the girl said her father was 66 years of age. She had heard that at the age of 11 in England her father fell from a tree, severely cutfiiirr his face. Ho also suffered from sunstroke at the age of 29. About three years ago he had received a blow on the head from a shackle pin. At times her father was far from normal, and his behavior and conduct had been such that one member of the family thought he should be examined by a doctor, diefore Christmas he was actually sent to town to be examined by a doctor, but he went to a chemist instead. After further evidence the case for the defence was taken. Mrs. Needham, accused's wife, said she had been married nearly 40 years/ Ffer husband suffered from irritability and delusions. She corroborated her daughter's statements as to his strange conduct. Three doctors were called and stated that in their opinion accused was subject to fits of insanity. The prosecution called three doctors who gave evidence in rebuttal. After a retirement of one and a-half hours, the jury returned a verdict of '.'iiilty of manslaughter, with a strong recommendation to mercy on acocunt of accused's ago and temperament. Sentence was deferred.—Press Assn.