CHARGE OF MURDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 184, 6 August 1931, Page 7

CHARGE OF MURDER

THE RAMEKA CASE ACCUSED GIVES NO MEMORY OF TRAGEDY [ Per Press Association, j \ AUCKLAND, Aug. 5. > The hearing of the evidence in dofence of George Ranieka, on the trial of murdering Airs Gwendoline Johnson, was continued tj-day. Afanene Brown, a Alaori ganger said that deceased had come to his lodgings with Ranieka, and he often went to her flat. They scenic*- to behave “like man and wife.” He saw Ranieka give her £24 of his winnings at thi races. The ambulance driver who took Ramcka to the hospital said his symptoms were similar to the after-effects of an • ileptic fit. George Graham, an authority on tho aori race, said they were very jealous of their racial pedigree. A Maori who was called “a nigger” would receive a mental shock and would “seo dark,” equivalent to a European “seeing red.” Accused Ranieka then gave cvidcncO through an interpreter. He said ho had three sisters and thirteen brothers. Only he and one sister were now alive. A first cousin of Js had killed her baby. Another cousin at Waitara had killed her adopted child. He wen. to the war at the age of 15, and wag there over two years. Ranieka said at tho war he was dig* ging trenches and also looking after wire entanglements in “no man’s land.” He was gassed at Alcssincs, and when he returned to New Zealand he received hospital treatment for war wounds. Sometimes he suffered from depression which seemed to darken his outlook. He knew deceased as Miss Driscoll. She told him sho was a well-to-do woman from England, that she came from Wellington, and was engaged while there. The first night he met her she told him Airs Keesing (her landlady) was her unt. After he and she had been together a while he loved her and she responded When he gave her £24 it was arranged tha the fact should not be known to her family. She told him that she was waiting for money from her family’s estate in Wellington, and would repay him in twelve months. Trouble at Trots Accused said he used to visit Airs Johnson every night when she was sick and sometimes ho stayed until 1 o’clock. He had often been alone with her for periods up to two hours. Ho went to Ellerslie races and Epsom trots with Mrs Johnson and her daughter as her tana (unmarried husband). The beginning of the trouble between ihem was at the trots when sho asked him to get a taxi. He told her he was broke. She said all the lovers she had had anything to do with had always taken her home in comfort. Next day, in a fit of depression, he bought poison, contemplating suicide. That night she told him she did not want him any more. He asked why. She said because he showed her up at the trots. He was “full of jealousy and temper.” He threatened suicide, and she said she did not care and anyway he would not be game. Then the thought of his child came to him and he decided to defer the act. Accuse! said the next morning ho bought a knife because he thought poison would not be enough to take his life. He intended to take poison in Mrs Johnson’s presence to prove he was game enough to commit suicide. He drank sonic poison before he opened the door of her room. His throat and stomach were burning. Then speaking in good English, ac* cused said, “She looked at me and said to me, ‘What do you want hero you black nigger?’ At that instant I didn’t know what I was doing. I just simply went off my head, that is all.” The Court adjourned for lunch. ADD MURDER CHARGE Crown Examination Examined by Mr Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, accused said that after he first met Airs Johnson he used to see her every night, lie did not know how strong the poison was nor how many people the contents of the bottle he bought would kill. He thought of the knife after he reached home on the night before the tragedy. If the poison was not sufficient he intended to stab himself with the knife in a taxicab. He drank part of the poison at Mrs Keesing's outside Mrs Johnson’s door fully intending to drink the rest after he had hail it out with her. Mrs Johnson was awake when he went jn to her room, and she spoke first. Ho • lid not remember seeing the knife after, he put it in his pocket at the door. Ha did not remember driving bark to Hepburn Street or the other incidents which witnesses had sworn to. He did not remember anything from the time he was at Airs Johnson’s door till he was in hospital. Dr R. M. Beattie, who for 29 years was in charge of the Auckland mental hospital, said he had formed the conclusion that there was a probability of a minor epileptic condition in accused. Witness hud gained the impression that there was a certain amount of mental instability. He found Maoris, as a rule, emotional and intensely sensitive. “1 regard this man as of unstable mental condition,” continued witness. “For years he has been suffering from strange sensations in his head, with attacks of giddiness and a disturbance of his eyes. The man has been suffering from abnormal depression and was actively suicidal when.' he went into the room where deceased was. The depression became intense and he was suffering a burning pain, in the mouth, throat ami stomach from the poison he had taken. He was called by a name that all Maoris resent, and he got into an irresponsible maniacal condition. If he was in such a maniacal state he could not know the nature and quality of his act.” This closed the case for the defence. »The Crown then called Dr H. M. Buchanan, superintendent of the Auck-i land Mental Hospital, who said that Rameka had not given him any symptoms of loss of memory or giddiness. In his opinion there was no justification fo- the theory that accused was an epileptic. He did not think Rameka had the loss of memory at the timo of tho tragedy he claimed to have. Tn witness’ opinion the act in the bedroom was a conscious act. Corroborative evidence was given by other mental experts. The evidence was concluded to-night! and the case will be finished to-morrow.)