THE TAPANUI MURDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12600, 14 September 1905, Page 8

THE TAPANUI MURDER

ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT

DUNEDIN, September 13, At Tapanui, toniay, Stott end Bromley we're 'brought up on a charge of 'having murdered Ham Sing Tong, at Tapanud, on August 21st. '■'."'■

Mr Eraser, Crown iProsecutor, in his opening, after explaining the cireumKbanoes connected: with the finding of the deceaseds/body in the hut he occupied, said it would be proved that Bromley had in his .possession a■'-rifi© that would discharge such a bullet as had mused death. It had ibeen borrowed for the day, and not returned. It would be shown that on .the night of the murder Bromley :and ihis close coniT panknii Stott, were in Tapanui and left, going towards tiheir home, about 9 o'clock. Underneath the "body cf the deceased was found a 'belt. Evidently there had been ia_sj;ruggle, and counsel suggested that in the struggle the deceased tore from the waiist of one of the men the belt, which was broken, though still "buckled. That belt on that night was practically the ptroperty of Bromley. In the deceased's hand was found a portion of a neck handkerchief, wMeh had been evidently torn off in the struggle. It was not a common type. It \\^juld be Shown that Stott was possessed of one exactly similar. A vest worn by the deceased, in which he usually kept a roll of notes, was missing. Stott was known, to be in an impecunious position, _but in a day or two after the murder he was in Heriot and was very flush of money, producing note after, note, and concerning this nioney he told different stories. Evidence was called on the lines of that at itihe inquest, the Court sitting in the evening.