THE RANGITIKEI MURDER.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2050, 19 April 1864, Page 3

THE RANGITIKEI MURDER.

We republish from the Wanganui Chronicle of the 9th iust , the remainder of the evidence, at the examination of Tricker before the Magistrates there : — Dr. Davis gave evidence as to the nature of the wound? inflicted on the deceased. Horace James Bio ugh ton, tanner, W'lngauui, deposed— l knew the lute Mr Ruyuer, and where he lived ; remember the time of bis death; some time before I heard of his death I went lo his house; think it was two or three days before he was found ; think it was a Monday ; was nwure of his having been murdered, immediately after the body was found; do j not remember the day the body was found ; think some time about the middle of the week * had been three or four times to his house before he was found, twice ou one clay, morning and evening; that was the first day I went; went to ask Mr Riyner for the use of his bullocks ; there was no one in the house; one of the dogs was loose, and £ did not go iuside of the garden gale; went about the paddocks; was at the back of the house; saw no one about; there was no smoke the first time; went again in the afternoon ; still no one there and no tiace of any one; went again next day with the same result; went .again with several other persons — Colonel Logau, Mr Hamliu, Mr L; Daniell, Mr Geo. Boss. In the afternoon of Monday I went to Mr Bull's and told him I could not find Mr Rayner ; got no tidings of him ; am not sure whether it was on the first or second day that I ieportod bis being missing. Col.

Logan was made aware with other people tbat Bayner was raissirjg. This led to a general sfiirch and to the finding of the body. I think I went into the bouse on the fourth occasion when the other people were there ; entered by the kitchen door at the back ; the door between the back and front of the house was fastened ; I got into the front of the bouse by a French window in which there was a pane of glass broken; put in my bund and drew the latch back ; have been there frequeully, but never observed a broken pane before. Some of the glass was tying inside the room and some in the verandah. Very little fell inside, most into the verandah close under the window. It opened into the sitting room ; nothing particular there ; proceeded to the bedroom ; the bed was tumbled about in a very unusual manner; examined the bed but found nothing; missed nothing of what I had been ascustomed to see in the room : do not recollect how far the glass inside lay from the window, but it was not far ; Bayner had a revolver; the box and holster were in the bedroom ; do not know if the pistol was there; did not see it on tbat day. On another occasion I was at the house with Mr Bull and Mr A. McDonald ; [shewn a revolver] that is similar to the one Mr Bayner bad, but cannot say that it is the same; his was in pieces when I last saw it ; never .saw deceased carrying his revolver ; Mr Bayner's family had gone to Wellington some little lime before; do not recollect how long — perhaps a month. Two boys— a native and a half-caste — remained in the house with Mr Bayner ; he had other Datives working for him who stayed down at the stock ' yard I think; the boys alone stayed in the house with him; I bad conversation with Mr Bayner very frequently ; never heard from him ! that the two boys were about to quit his service; I saw the Maori boy on the Friday morn- ' ing before Mr Rayner was discovered to be missing, on the gravel road in Daniell's busb below Bull's, about 8 o'clock, going down the roiid towards Scoti's. By Mr Boberts — The half-caste hoy is brother to my wife ; be was in my bouse at Bull's on the Friday morning about 8 o'clock ; my wife and I were there ; my bouse is close to Bull's ; he remained about 5 minutes and then went to Bull's paddock for his horse; I accompanied him ; he did not go into Bull's; I saw the native boy go down the road from Bull's and the half-caste parted with him and came into my house ; I was at Bull's the previous night; Mr Bayner was there; he had on riding boots, breeches, a grey overcoat, and small black felt hat ; I have seen the clothes said to have been taken off deceased, and recognised the coat and boots as those he bad on on that occasion, but cannot speak positively to the breeches; I knew beforehand that he was to receive money on that night ; do not know if be received it; cannot say when he left Bull's, whether «t 9 o'clock or 11 ; saw him at starting-— the last time I saw him alive — he was on horseback ; do not know if he had bis revolver ; I saw Mr Bayner's watch when I went into his house; do not know the, hour at which it stopped. Glass generally falls on the side it is struck on. The blankets were underneath the mattress, and the pillows in the middle of the bed. The front door and the passage door were locked ; don't know how the last person in the house could have got out — he might have gone np the chimney. On the Friday morning I was at home ; heard uo report of fire-arms about 10 o'clock, but I have frequently on other days heard reports of firearms from Mr Bayner's, which he afterwards told me were his ; he was in the habit of practising with fire-arms from his kitchen door. The half-caste boy was uot seen by me from the Friday on which he took his horse away till the day of the inquest, and I have not seen him since till this morning. I recollect the cavalry drill on Friday. I was present. I did not see the prisoner there on that day. By Mr Boss; The front half of the house was lucked. Any one might have left the house by the French, window by which I entered. My house is close to Bull's. My tim«? is rec/toned more by tbe time of meals at Bull's thaw by the clock. Even clocks differ much in the country- The grey coat was a new one. With (lie exception of (he coat Mr Bayner was accustomed to go from home in the same dress as he wore on the Thursday. I did not see the Maori boy aijain till the inquest. When he went down the road on Friday morning, he was walking as usual with a blanket tied round him. I don't know if Mr ltiiyner had his spurs on on tbe Thursday night. By the Court: The poultry were caged up when I went tv Mr Biy tier's with Colonel Logan, On the previous days I did nut notice them. John Jordan, settler, Baugitikei, deposed: On oue occasion, about a fortnight before Mr Bayner was murdered — it might have been a few days more or less — I was at Bull's and just as I was leaving, Mr Tricker came up to me and spoke to me about the Memorial that was got up for a remission of part of his punish- j ment when in prison for cattle stealing. He said some of those concerned in the cave should smart for it. He was » good deal the worse for liquor at the time. I told him he should let bye-gones be bye pones and rode away. I had drawn up the memorial in question. He was prosecuted at the instance of Mr L. Daniell aud the deceased Mr Bayner. I have heard no other declaration, from him. By Mr Boberts : For unything I know to the contrary Mr Bayner was only a witness in the prosecution. *I was very often at Mr Bayner's and knew him Very well. One of bis cattle dogswasa particularly good watch dog. Although I jvas intimate there, he always barked ut me; I was present at part of the investigation before the Coroner, but was not present when the halfcaste boy gave et'idencf. By Mi Boss : Mr Bayner always took une dog when he was cattle hunting aud when riding out for other purposes, only took a dog occasionally. I knew the dog well, but he always barked at me when I went to the house and was certaiu lo bark ut any stranger. < Thomas Scott, farmer, Bangitikei, deposed : I have known Trioker for some years, aud also knew the late Mr Bayner. I remember Friday i the 28th August last. I keep a store. I saw Tricker on tbe Friday morning. He arrived at ray house on horseback a few minutes before 7 a.m. He said he ciune to buy mourning to attend the fuueral of Duncan Fraser's son the following day. I sold him some clothing, but no mourning. He stopped from three-quarters of an hour to an hour, aud itieu rode away. I have seeu him occasionally within the last 12 months. I remember the time when be came from Wellington after his imprisonment. I ferried him across the llungitikei then. He spoke to me of Mr Bayner tbat morning. On the further side of the Bunguikei he swore by the living God, that he would have bis rereoge on Daniell and Bayner for prosecuting him for cattle stealing, of which they were guilty themselves, if be waited 20 years and was hanged by the neck afterwards. I cautioned him against sadi language. By Mr Roberts : — It is at least nine months since 1 heard him make this threat. I have beard him utter threats against other people but. not of such magnitude. My house is aOuut 15 miles from Bayuer's. Mr Campion's house is nearly in a line between the two placeß. I gave him several letters and papers to deliver on his way to Campion's, tie delivered these on that morning — some to Mr G. W. Wheeler, whose place is about five miles from mine, and to Mr A. Wiuks, whose place, is distant fully five miles. By the Gojirt-rl B*yt prisoner at Mr Fraser's funeral on the following fayi : ; . r ■'■'/■• / L .

By Mr Rosa — When he mad© the threat tie> f _,- was standing ; he raised his hand above his . head and brought it down quickly white he spoke. The case for the prosecution' was brought to a close this forenoon, after Mr Bull and Constable Freeth of Rangitikei, and Colonel Logan, had given evidence — which will appear next Wednesday, Mr Roberts for the defendant said, that he bad abundant and incontrovertible evidence to prove an alibi, and at one time he thought of producing it before the Court ; but on further reflection he considered it would best clear the prisoner from all suspicion if the case went to trial. He would therefore reserve bis evidence. The prisoner was then committed for trial on a charge of murder, at the next criminal sessions of the Supreme Court, Wellington. The! Murdeb Case. — As was to be expected, the speculations oil this case are numerous and wild: and to repeat any of the gossip current here would be quite out of the question. It may be mentioued however, that the friends of ibe prisoner Trigter — those who were most about him at the time of \be murder— are clearly of the opinion that bis whereabouts can be accounted for by them, from Thursday afternoon till Friday at noon. It will be xemembered that when the former investigation took place, at which time the murder was supposed to have been committed during tbe night Trioker's innocence was clearly established. The change of lime now makes a difference, the result of which will probably be brought out by this new enquiry. Tricker is a man of about 40, of rather stern appearance. He shows no : emotion of any kind while in tbe dock, but cvi«. detitly listens attentively to tbe evidence. He has borne a good character hitherto, the only stain on it bring the case of cattle-stealing, for which about three years since he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. As tbe shooting of cattle was common in the country at that lime, and others were supposed to be equally liable to prosecution, considerable commiseration was felt for him. which "was shewn by a petition from the district numerously and respectably signed praying that the term of imprisonment might be shortened; and he was liberated at tbe end of a year, Tbe violent language he had made use of regarding Rayner, who bad been active in his prosecution, at once directed suspiciou against him when the murder was committed. He has a wife and 3 cbildreo: and the former is very much thought of in her neighbourhood. Rangitikei is divided into two parties, for and agaiusi— who as usual in such cases hold extreme opinions on the side, tbsy have espoused. As will be seen by the depositions, (he evidence hitherto has been of a very conflicting and unsatisfactory kind.

Tricker arrived here on Saturday in the Sturm Bird iti the charge of a policeman. He was at once lodged in gaol where he at present awaits bis trial at the ensuing criminal sittings of the Spreme Court, to be held iv June.