The Papakaio Murder.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 12051, 19 December 1906, Page 4

The Papakaio Murder.

Findlay on Trial.

DUNEDIN, December 18. The trial of John Findlay for the murder of William Hay Rennie, schoolmaster at Papakaio, on the 3rd October, was commenced at the Supreme Court this morning. The Crown Prosecutor, in opening the case, said it rested largely upon presumptive evidence. His speech in outlining the facts in possession of the police occupied an hour and three-quarters. The evidence for the prosecution was not completed when the Court tobc for the day. The Crown Prosecutor said the case rested largely on circumstantial evidence. Another case of the kind heard in the colony was the charge against the murderer Ellis, who was convicted solely upon circumstantial evidence. In this present case motive predominated, and he would show that the motive was robbery. Deceased was in an enviable position, being a man without an enemy. The learned counsel then described how he was shot through the head while asleep, and detailed the movements of prisoner, who fabricated his identity all through, and impersonated a runaway Bailor off the Port Stephens. He afterwards said he came down the road with a runaway sailor. It would be shown that for 3 hours prisoner was hovering about watching Rennie's house. Later, the accused actually went to the house and saw the girl who cleaned out the place, and said he was canvassing for baker's orders, asking who Rennie was, and how many lived in, the houße.