A REVOLTING MURDER.

West Coast Times, 21 April 1911, Page 4

A REVOLTING MURDER.

THE PUHIPUH TRAGEDY. FINDING OF GUMDIGGERS BODY. THE MAORI PRISONER CONFESSES. - | PSR PBEBS ASSOCIATION.-^-COPYEIOHX.I WHANGAREI, April, 20. A revolting crime, committed in the depthts of the Puhipuhi State forest, has been revealed.

Kaka, a native youth, aged 18" years, was arrested, at Kaikohe on Tuesday, on a charge!of murdering John Freeman, a European gum digger, with whom Kaka resided in a where. Suspicion fell on Kaka by his prodigal spending of money and because Freeman had not been seen for ten days. Kaka was brought down to Whakapara, (the nearest station to Puhipuhi), this morning, where he was met by a police sergeant. Accused confessed to the sergeant that he hit Freeman over the head with a heavy wooden bludgeon, killed him and robbed him of £4O realised by the sale of gum. Kaka then dragged the corpse into a secluded place and buried it. He preferred to show the burial place. The police with the capitve immediately set out for the scene of the crime and will return to Whangarei to-night or to-morrow with accused and the body of the victim.

LATER PARTICULARS HEAD SMASHED TO PULP. AUCKLAND, April, 20. A message received here from Whakapara states that the body of the murdered guradigger, John Freeman, was recovered in the Puhipuhi Forest today by Sergeant Mooj^e.’... Th.o prisoner, Kaka, is a stalwart Maori youth, about 18 years of age, and is described as a ne’er-do-well. Kaka led the party to the spot where the body was found. The head was practically smashed to pulp, and the body was in an advanced state of decomposition. It is stated that the tragedy occurred on April sth, and that Freeman, who left his whare that day to go gumdigging was followed by the Maori into the bush. The Maori accosted Freeman who appears to have resented, and defended himself with a gum-spear. The prisoner is supposed to have struck Freeman on the side of the head violently with a steik, felling him, and afterwards dealing him two murderous blows while the man was on the ground The prisoner afterwards spent money freely in the locality, and at Kaikohc, where, from a statement made to other natives, suspicion was aroused, causing his arrest. ,