ALLEGED MURDER

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 99, 3 May 1935, Page 3

ALLEGED MURDER

Evidence Against Maori CASE IN WANGANUI COMMITTED FOR TRIAL (Per Press Association.) HAWERA, Last Night. Jack Ngapaki was charged at the Patea Magistrate’s Court this morning with the murder of Sam Hauora, at Opaku on March 25, he was committed to the Supreme Court for trial at Wanganui on May 27. Mr. J. 11. Salmond, S.M., was on the bench. Mr. N. R. Bain appeared for the prosecution and Mr. T. Roberts for the ac cused.

Constable Kelly gave evidence that he found the deceased fully clothed in the yard of the farm on wh'ch he and Ngapaki resided. Alongside the body was a hardwood stick with which wounds had apparently been inflicted. The only person in the house was the accused, who said, when ask ed what has happened, “I killed him.” The accused also said that Hauroa came home swearing, growling and tai King roughly and the accused told him to get out. When the accused was going to get rough again the accused hit nim on the to-enead with tie st.ck striking several times after he fe’l to the ground. He then arrested the accus nl. When charged the accused said, ‘‘lt was Sam's fault.” The accused war quite sol er and rational.

Mr. W. T. Simmonds, Patea, cor roboraied the statements made b> the accused to the constable. The accused a; seared to be quite collec': ed an 1 normal.

In company with Dr. G. J. Adams

witness conducted a post mortem upon Hauora. Death was due to concussion following a cerebral haemorrhage together with a fracture of the skull.

Turoa Hauora, son of the deceased, said he heard from the door of the cowshed an argument between the accused and the deceased. Witness plainly heard the accused say: “I will kill you.” These were the only words he could hear although both were speaking at the top of their voices. Witness did not hear what his father was saying as the accused spoke louder. The argument continued for about five minutes, then witness started toward the house. When about half-way he heard a knocking or something bumping against wood. He saw the accused standing by the fireplace outside, it being fairly dark. The accused called out: “Tu, I have killed Sam to get him out of the road.”

For some years the accused and the deceased had been in the habit of quarrelling, although sometimes they were quite friendly. The last argument witness heard was about a year ago. On that occasion the accused had said he would kill Sam if he did not get off the property. This statement had been frequently repeated by the accused and witness recalled quite readily two other occasions when the threat was made. A coronial inquiry wrns held in conjunction with the Court proceedings, Mr. E. F. Hemingway, the Coroner, finding in accordance with the medical evidence that death was the result of cerebral haemorrhage, concussion and fracture of the skull from blows inflicted by Jack Ngapaki.