PAHIATUA MURDER.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17169, 3 August 1927, Page 7

PAHIATUA MURDER.

DEVA KALA ON TRIAL.

ARRAIGNED FOR IVIURDER. ACCUSED UNPERTURBED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Pahiatua was thrown into a state of consternation on Saturday, June 4, whem a report gained currency that a barman in a local hotel had been murdered by a Hindu cook, through being struck at the back of the neck with a cleaver. No motive could be attributed for tho crime, which the Hindu calmly admitted perpetrating. PALMERSTON N., Wednesday. Before his Honour Mr Justice Reed and a jury of 12 the trial commenced in the Supreme Court this morning of Deva Kala, aged 36 years, a Hindu, who is charged with the murder at Pahiatua on June 4 of William John Barrett, a barman at the Commercial Hold. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Such was the interest taken In the trial that the body of the Court was crowded . The prisoner appeared in the dock well dressed, and perfectly calm, his keen black eyes missing no detail of the proceedings. He is of little more than the average height, and well proportioned. Although he possesses a fair knowledge of English Ihe- proceedings were throughout interpreted for him. The case is expected to last all day. The Case Outlined. In outlining the case to the jury ihe Crown Prosecutor stressed the fact that accused on being questioned after the incident had admitted that he had killed Barrett. Any defence that could now be raised could only have the effect of reducing the charge to one of manslaughter, but on the facts that would he brought forward counsel submitted that the jury would have no hesitation in bringing in a verdict of “guilty.” Hugh Pascoe Perry, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Pahiatua, gave evidence that as far as.he knew all his employees had been on good terms with each other.

Thomas Davidson, kitchenman at the Commercial Hotel, deposed that at about 1 o’clock, June 4, he had been in the scullery washing plates. Barrett, 'when passing through on his way to the kitchen, had exchanged greetings with witness. Ten minutes later witness heard a groan come from the direction w : hence Barrett had gone. Proceeding into the kitchen, witness passed accused coming out, the latter making no remark. There he had seen Barrett lying on the floor in a pool of blood, with a gash in the back of his neck. Witness had not heard anything in the way of a discussion between accused and deceased. Subsehe met accused and asked him, “Did you do that, Bill?” Accused replied, “I killed him.” The only other thing he said was, “The chickens are in the oven, Tom,” referring to a dinner being prepared for that night.

“Me Don’t Know.”

Constance Tester, the housemaid at the hotel, stated that while she was in the pantry leading to the kitchen, I she heard a gurgling noise, and then a | chair fall. After hesitating a moment she went to the pantry door, and, looking into the kitchen, saw Barrett lying on the floor and accused walking away. No one else had been in the kitchen. . Ruby James, a waitress at the hotel, deposed that at lunch she had given Barrett a cup of tea. Accused was quite' near, and was cutting bread. Witness went out to attend to orders from the dining-room, and a minute or two later heard a terrible noise come from the kitchen. Hurrying there she saw Barrett on the floor and Davidson trying to lift him up. Deceased’s chair was overturned. Kala was not then in the kitchen, but on going through the room she saw him at the front door, lie was dressed in his best clothes, a navy blue suit. Ilis kitchen dress included a white coat and apron. Asked what had happened, he replied, “Me don’t know.” he had then gone into the kitchen with the manageress. Myra Davidson, a waitress, stated that while working in the dining-room she heard groans coming from the kitchen. Proceeding there she saw Barrett lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Later, at the front door, she had asked Kala what had happened and he made no reply. William Saunders Routledge, a day porter, stated he had been working in a shed outside at the time of the tragedy. He was called into the kitchen by Miss Davidson, and witness had seen deceased lying on the floor. Kala was not there at the timp. Subsequently he heard accused, m reply to a question by the manageress, state, “I kill him.” On the arrival of the police, who had asked where the instrument was that he had used, accused replied, “In the sink.” A chopper was then found in the sink, it being the one usually used by accused. Popular and Inoffensive. Frances Jago, manageress of the hotel at the time of the • tragedy, deposed that on asking Kala what had happened he replied, “I kill him.” Accused had then gone into the diningroom with her, and had remained there until the arrival of the police. Replying to counsel, yvitness stated that on the Friday preceding the tragedy Kala had given notice, supplying no reason. He had wanted to leave at the beginning of the next w'eek. Accused was a popular man, and of quite a superior class, lie always was inoffensive. The Court at this stage adjourned for luncheon.