THE WHANGAREI MURDER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11003, 25 July 1914, Page 5

THE WHANGAREI MURDER.

At the inquest on Mrs Hammon, Herbert Gordon Hammon. aged 13, a son of deceased, said that about three weeks, ago his father and mother quarrelled because the farmer did not like her joking with the boarders. The witness heard his mother ask Ins father for some money, saying that she would give it back to him when he went to work. He gave her some money, and since then he. had heard his father, at different times, ask toe it back. He was annoyed because he could not get ft, and said that he would not go to work until it was forthcoming. On Monday the deceased said she would give his father some money if he went to work. Witness’s father then packed up his clothes in a hamper, and rolled his blankets up in a sweg, and said he was going to work at Kawakawa. Witness and his father slr-pt in a tent in the yard and his nfother occupied a room off the kitchen.. Witness went to bed early on Monday evening Nest morning both he and his father got up about 4 o’clock. The latter dressed him self and got his clothes ready to go away. Half an hour later he went into the house. His mother was up, and his father asked for his best hat from the bedroom. This was brought to him. His father then asked for some money to go up to Kawakawa with. His mother said “No I won’t’’ His father then went oat to the fowlshed without saying anything STRUCK PROM BEHIND

“I was standing in the passsge.” proceeded the witness, "and mother, with her back to the door, was standing at the gas stove with a lighted candle in her hand Just then father csxne'in He eas hiding the axe behind his back He walked up behind mother and struck her on the head She screamed and fell backwards Father then struck her three times as she lay on the floor, the last time burying the axe in her head Father then shouted ‘Hood bye,’ and rushed out of t:.e house I then called for help, and my brothers, Arthur and Leslie, came running into the kitchen Mother uttered no sound after fattier struck her,” concluded the witness, “except that she moaned just a little ”