MURDER AND SUICIDE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXI, Issue 22, 24 January 1924, Page 5

MURDER AND SUICIDE

MAORI KILLS HIS WIFE.

P#r Pres* Association. Auckland, January 23. Advice in from Pukekoho to-night that a Maori named Robin Wi shot his wife dead at Mercer and then com- . mitted suicide. No details are available to-night.

JEALOUS MAN’S DEED.

HELPLESS EYE-WITNESSES.

Auckland, January 24. Mercer was yesterday the scene of i dual tragedy.

A middle-aged Maori, Wi Rapana, in a fit of jealousy, murdered his wife, Moe Rapana, and then committed suicide. He left his whare about eight o'clock and did not return until between ten and eleven. Then he walk'll into the whare with a shot gun a big hand, and pointing the gun a his wife’s head said; “I am going ,o shoot you.”

This threat he immediately carried into effect. The woman fell mortally wounded. She managed to crawl from the whare, and expired just out■ce the building. Tne woman was hot on the left side of the lace, the .i’>ts passing through her. jaw and ..miug out on the right (side of Uer neck.

Rapana immediately stepped outside the whare, re-loaded the gun, and shot himself under tne heart, ■ueath being practically /instantaneous. Lie fell close beside the body

of his wife. Tne murder of the woman was witnessed by her sister and eldest daughter, a of 21. fso swiftly did Rapana carry out his threat of carder that neither of the eye-wit-cesses was aJblo to lift a hand to prevent the deed.