THE WAITARA TRAGEDY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2454, 19 March 1909, Page 5

THE WAITARA TRAGEDY

TRIAL OF DR, GOODE.' (Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, March-18. Evidence for the prosecution was continued in the Supreme Court to-day in tlie AVaitara murder case. Charles Stone, painter, Waitara, who assisted in the attack on' accused s house after the tragedy, described tne arrest, and also gave evidence regarding the finding of a revolver (identified) in ’accused’s surgery. Accused was very violent and excited, particularly when he saw Constable Price., . To Mr. Skerrett: Some danger in effecting Goode’s arrest was anticipated. Witness and others/who assisted m tne ,affair wore aru’ocl witli substantial sticks. Witness!' .supposed they were all more or less excited. To Hitt Honor: Witness saw somevery much resembling a revolver in Dr.; Goode’s hand. ’ To Mr. Skc-rrett: Could not be sure it was a revolver. Accused was standing between tlie door leading into the passage and the writing table. It was a fact that witness thought it necessary to hit accused once or twice on the Mr. Skerrett remarked that he did not complain of this in the least oi blame witness for it. , Further cross-examined, witness said •-r, ; .t the hammer of tlie revolver was down when it was Landed to witness. Constable Mclvor deposed that no and Stone entered Dr. Goode s house by the surgery door. Three other men were there with them. When the door was broken in Dr. Goode was standing about five or six feet from, the dooi, He bad a revolver m his i igbt hand, which was raised m the ail, //cus, - was just lowering his right hand to the firino* position when witness lushed Inn and caught him round tlie waist- Accused’s right hand fell on his shouldei, and something fell on the floor. - : rusod asked “AVhat m tlie name of God does tIS mean?” Witness threw. lmn on the sofa, saying, .“You’re my prisoner ” Ho was carried outside, hand cuffed and taken to tlie AVaitara police station in a dray. A little later witness returned to Dr. Goode’s house, and took possession or the revolver produced. It was loaded, witness lit a lamp and then examined the revolver, and took five cartridges out of it at the pohee station. Accused , was very excited, but recognised everyone who came into the room. • AYlieti he saw Comtab.e Price ho was more than ever excited. He objected to his wounds being dressed, cand forcible persuasion had to be used. Witness was inside tlie cab m which the accused was brought to New Plymouth. Accused seemed quite rational when speaking. Ho wanted the cab to stop at his house so that- lie could get a- bottle of whisky, * He conversed about different doctois, and said that in all his experience lie had never lost a woman. Accused recognised several places on the road. He complained of cold feet, and said Ins throat was sore. In tlie course of conversation, Mr. AVilkes, who was also m the cab, was calling the witness ‘ Mae. Accused asked “What is Ins otner name?” mentioning several names beginning with “Alac.” Witness replied “Mv name is Mclvor, uoctoiv Oh, said he, "Ton’ re the —— who d:d me injury in New Plymouth IS month* iS Mr. AVeston: As a matter of fact, some IS months ago you had some trou]be with* him in New Plymouth. Witness: That is so. I bad some trouble getting him away from one oj the hotels xvliile drunk. To His Honor: Accused did not give any reason for bis throat being sore.. He merely made a curt complaint. Resuming, witness said accused appeared rational, and did not seem to be mentally deranged. Considerable trouh’e was experienced in getting accused to the cel!. He refused to go beyond the yard, and witness carried him into the cell. In the station, accused ro-coo-nised Sergeant Haddrell. AY lien he saw Constable Price he became excited. To Air. Skerrett: Witness. threw accused away from the tabic, and tovaic.s the sofa. Dr. Goode s right hand uas thrown towards the sofa, and away from tho table. Accused-Ikicl a revolt ci in his right hand. So far as witness could judge, it foil on the fiooi. AY it—ness knew nothing of his oyu knowledge about the revolver being found on "the table. To His Honor.: There must have been a dozen people who came into tlie room imediately after the accused was arrested. His Honor remarked that anyone entering the room and kicking the revolver would naturally pick it up and put it on the table. Air. Skerrett:That is so, your Honor, I don’t dispute that. - AVitness, to Air. Skerrett: Accused asked at the AVaitara police station why he had been arrested. Detective Boddam told him it was for shooting a woman. Accused replied, “I never shot anybody. I wouldn’t do anybe any harm.”

Air. Skerrett: Did he appear to you from his demeanour to be at a loss to understand what all tlie commoty/i was about? . . . AVitness (after slight hesitation)-Acs, I think ho was. Air. Skerrett: Did ho refer to the tragedy which had just occurred? Witness: No.

Continuing bis cross-examination, MrSkerrett drew from the witness the fact that the accused enticed into the cab by a statement that be was going to Mr. Fitzhcrbert’s, the. S.M. Accused, while in. the cab, did refer to his wife, saying, “Poor Airs. Goode.” There was a considerable' amount of conversation in the cab, but accused did not refer to the tragedy. He put the whole blame for what had occurred on Constable Price. He did say to Mr. Wilkes, “You take action against him for £IOOO damages for injury to n y practice.” Accused said nothing to indicate that be was wounded in tlie neck, only that his throat was sore, fn the cab the accused did say that he wanted to see the Magistrate at once, as ho wished to get back home with his. solicitor. Witness did not know w net non' lie also said this in New Plymouth polico station. When witness took aocued’s rations to him on the following morning he seemed a bit more depressed. lie made no remark about the wound in bis neck. . Dr. H. 13. Leatbam, pied mill superintendent of New Plymouth Hospital, detailed Llie treatment of deceased m the hospital, and described tlm results of the post mortem exa'inn Vlion. Witness identified the bullets removed Irma the body of the deceased. The bullets bad been fired into deceased's body at close range. They could have born fired by a person, taller than deceased The one in tho lower wound s ppearod to have been fired from .T_ horizontal plane, and that in tho higher wound from above. The lower wound ccmd have been self-inflicted, but it was almost impossible for the upper wound to. have been self-in Anted.

To Mi*. Skerrett: Witness saw Dr. Goode soon after bis admission to 'the hospital on December 2.lst. Accused remained in the hospital about a month. A bullet was removed from an abscesscavity under accused’s jaw. Witness saw accused in the hospital on the morning -after his arrest, when Mrs. Klenner’s depositions were taken. He looked dishevelled, harassed, and wild, and seemed, very ill. He had decided manifestations of chronic alcoholism. Witness made no reference to the tragedy to accused. It struck witness, by the accused’s demeanor, that accused did not realise his position. After liis immediate illness accused ate well, smoked .and read. He was very quiet and said very little. Mr. Skerrett: Is family history of importance in the determination of whether -a person is insane or not? Witness: Yes. Family history is of the greatest importance in estimating whether -a person is insane. A family taint begets an, instability of mind which predisposes to an attack of insanity that may be excited by other causes.

Mr. Skerrett: Is alcohol one of the most common causes of exciting insanity in cases of this-type? Witness: Yes. Approximately 30 per cent of these cases are due to alcoholism.

At Mr. Skerrett’s instigation the witness explained to the jury the manner in which alcohol produced this effect. To Mr. Skerrett: Alcohol affected all the nervous organisations. Chronic alcoholism upon a subject belonging to a family with a neurotic or insane,taint is apt to produce consequences. These consequences were a gradual encroachment of mental weakness -and a gradual weakening of memory, powers of perception, will power, business capacity, decision and judgment. Alcoholics frequently were very susceptible and . unnaturally suspicious, and became untruthful aiid unnaturally quarrelsome (particularly so with their best friends and those; who- tried to assist them). Delusions of persecution were very common in these cases.

ill*. Skerrett: When a person suffers from chronic -alcoholism, with a history of hereditary insanity, and with delusions of persecution and of being watched, would, you expect such person to develop homicidal impulses? Witness: I may say it is recognised that sudden homicidal’ impulses may occur or are likely to occur in persons suffering from delusions of persecution. In answer to a further question by Mr. Skerrett, witness said it is known that sudden attacks-of homicidal impulse may occur lira person who may not afterwards be aware of any violent act that may have been committed during such -attacks. Witness, in further cross-examination, said that an impulsive act by -a person suffering in the way described is similar to the homicidal impulse that sometimes follows an attack of epilepsy. An epileptic may be subject to sudden attacks of violence and be unconscious of it afterwards. Witness believed it to be recognised that a similar condition may exist in cases of alcoholic degeneration. It was a fact that there ,are people going about their daily work in a condition of mental degeneracy, who had delusions of persecution. It was not inconsistent with insanity for the subject to recognise persons and nlaces. To the jury: Chronic alcoholism was often spasmodic alcoholism. 'When Mrs. JClenner’s depositions were taken in the hospital Dr. Goode stood perfectly quiet, but witness could not say whether he understood it all. To Mr. Skerrett: Chronic alcoholism rnay be produced by drinking bouts at intervals. At the close of the case for the prosecution, Mr. Weston said that if MY Skerrett intended to call scientific testimony as to accused s mental state, he wished to recurve the right to call rebutting evidence. Air. Skerrett announced that -lie would lead such o\ idcnce.