THE PUKEKAWA MURDER.

Wairarapa Age, 15 October 1920, Page 5

THE PUKEKAWA MURDER.

TIIORN BEFORE THE COURT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. The preliminary trial of Samuel John Thorn, charged with the murder of Sydney Seymour Eyre, at Pukekawa, on August 24, began at Pukekohe to-day, before Mr Poynton, S.M Mr R. P. Hunt, for the prosecution, in addressing the Court, said the case was a strong circumstantial one. It would be shown that the fatal shot was fired by one who had an intimate knowledge of the house. Thorn was the only one -outside the family having that knowledge. At the time of the murder, Thorn was working on Granville's farm, 18 miles from Eyre's. The horse under Thorn's charge had' peculiarly shaped shoes. The tracks discovered showed that it had been ridden between the two properties on the night of August 2-1. Eyre's house contained two guns, neither of which had been fired recently. The gun in Thorn's wharo had been discharged. It took a cartridge of the same calibre as that used to kill Eyre. Thorn was the only possessor of cartridges of that particular brand within a radius of 20 miles. The night of the murder was one of two nights when Thorn had been left alone in his whare. The evidence would show that while Eyre was away, and after his return, Thorn had forced immoral relations on Mrs Eyre. Thorn had threatened Eyre's life before witnesses. He' had said to Mrs Efyre, "Don't you wish he was dead." Eyre's sons had heard Thorn breaking into their mother's room at night. The motive suggested was revenge for being discharged from a good position, and being deprived of his opportunity for continuing his" relations, which were enforced on Mrs Eyre. Mrs Eyre was beginning her evidence at the adjournment of the Court.