ALLEGED MURDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 20, 24 January 1946, Page 3

ALLEGED MURDER

POLICE CASE AGAINST A MAORI FURTHER EVIDENCE HEARD (P.A.) Taumarunui, Jan. 23. Further evidence was heard to-day, in the Taumarunui Police Court, in the case in which the police have brought two charges alleging murder against Ivan Manlord Kahu, a Maori. Kahu is charged with the murder of his wife, Hine Piri Kahu, at Manunui, on December 8. He is further charged with murdering Massey Amundsen, a ton of a neighbour of the Kahu’s, on the same date, at Manunui. Mr. N. R. Bain, Crown Prosecutor, Wanganui, conducted the case for the police, and accused was represented by Mr. D. H. Hall, Taumarunui. More than 2( witnesses are to be called. Mr. Hall agieed that the two charges be taken together in the Lower Court, but reserved the right tc move for separate trials in the Supreme Court if necessary.

Most of the morning was taken up by lengthy evidence by Wiremi te Tauri, a Maori elder, and his description of attempts he made to bring about a reconciliation between Kahu and his wife. PRAYER FOR RECONCILIATION Accused was in a very low state of depression, said witness, but after witness visited Amundsen’s house and talked things over with Amundsen and Mrs. Kahu, happier relations between rhe accused and his wife were brought about for a short time. Accused and his wife embraced and witness said a prayer in Maori as a thanksg'ving for the reconciliation. Accused picked a diary off the table and said to his wife: “My dear, this is a diary which contains everything from the beginning of our marriage till now. It contains good and bad, and the only thing I can do with it now is to consign it to the flames.”

Accused then turned and threw the diary into the fire. He also burned other papers. The prayerbook and Bible were not burned. He picked up two prayer books and handed them to his wife.

Witness then thought, everything was patched up. 'Mrs. Kahu knew what the arrangements were, for him to go tc a job, or to the army overseas, ana she was to have the child and go away, and an opening was left for her to come back later. On December 7, however, he visited the Kahus again and found them both depressed, accused stating that his wife insisted on a divorce. On December 8, witness again saw the accused, who said everything was all right, and thanked him. SHORTAGE OF FOOD

Hjalmai* Amundsen, a retired labourer, lather of Massey Amundsen, gave evidence. He said he had known the accused and his wife since June, last year. It appeared to him that Mrs. Kahu was starving half the time. He heard about a shortage of food, and Kahu being in bed three parts ot the week dodging creditors and a solicitor who wished to serve a summons on the accused for rent. Before Mrs. Kahu’s baby was born, witness and his wife invited her to coftie and have food with them. Mrs. Kahu helped with the housework. Witnesses son, Massey, was friendly with Mrs. Kahu the same as witness and his wife were. Witness and Kahu had heated discussions on two occasions, and once witness slapped Kahu over the face with a paint brush. Continuing his evidence, Amundsen described finding his son Massey on his verandah seriously injured, and Mrs. K.ihu in the doorway of Walsh’s house in a similar condition. He took her by the arms and asked: “Did Kahu do this?” and she nodded her nead. Mr. Hall objected to this evidence. Witness went to Kahu’s house and saw blood and signs of a struggle. Witness found a hammer near his son’s body. James William Atkinson, bus driver, gave evidence to the effect that, as a neighbour, he never saw anything out of place about the relations between Mrs. Kahu and Massey Amundsen. They appeared to be only good neighbours.

Ernest Walsh said he saw the accused pass his window on the way to Amundsen’s a few minutes before the murder. Martin Ernest Trebes, another neighbour, remembered seeing the accused leaving Amundsen’s about the time of the murder. A few minutes later he heard cries, and went to the Amundsens and saw Massey Amundser lying on the verandah gasping for ■ breath, and with severe head injurACCUSED WENT TO POLICE STATION Fanny Edwards, wile of Constable Edwards, of Mananui, said lhe accused came to the police station and said that something terrible had happened. John Hasant, a brother of the last witness, said he heard the accused say he did it and was sorry for his poor people. He was goaded into it. Accused asked: “Do they hang people now. and what is a life sentence?’’ Constable Edwards, of Manunui, said accused asked him if he could apply for deportation to another country after serving his sentence. Accused asked for a doctor and a clergyman to give him consolation. Sergeant Tumilty said he found a blood-stained safety razor blade on the flour of accused's home.