THE TEAWAITE MURDER

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5213, 1 March 1904, Page 5

THE TEAWAITE MURDER

LBN. COLLINSON’S DEATH. I

"JAMES ELLIS, alias McKENZIE. (Wanted lay the Police.) Following is the police description of tho man wanted ii> connection with Collinson’s death: — James William Ellis, alias John McKenzie. A native of Wellington, New Zealand, labourer; born 1801; sft 3) in high, fresh comifloxion, dark brown halir, light grey eyes; long, thin, pointed nose; small mouth, slight humid; photograph taken on April loth, 1801 ; wore a few days ago a sandy . moustache, khaki coat - ' and slouch drab hat; armed with rifle.

ROSS’S EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSH. SEARCH FOR THE SUSPECTED MAN. 0 (From Our Special Reporter.) AIARTINBOROUGH, February 2!). Alartinborough speaks of nothing but the murder. There tiro a hundred theories, a . hundred explanations, a hundred speculations. A hundred stories are told of the mail McKenzie, who is being sought by the police. He had been working for the dead man. Who was carrying out a contract for Mr 0. A. Bnimy, and was discharged'. Air Bunny would not have him On the station, and told Collinson so-. Collinson asked McKenzie to leave, hut the latter refusedt to do so. Collinson informed Air Bunny, who is stated to have replied that cither AloKenzie must go, or Collinson would have to go. ColLiuson told AloKenzie this. Tho poliico . are out searching the country, and the station hands are giving every assistance,- but people who know the district say tho task of catching AleKenzie will end only when hunger drives him into the open. He is armed with a rifle, and is said to have plenty of ammunition. All agree that ho is a marvellous shot. He is a man about sft 4in in height, very thin, of fair complexion, has sharp, prominent features. Ho is very temperate. Collinson was very popular. Ho was about thirty-eight or forty years of age, and had been in tho colony about eighteen years’. His father is J. 001-lin-sou, Delphio Cliff, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, and l a brother is in the secretarial branch of tho Great Western Railway Company. He also has a brother in the South Island, but his" address is unknawfl. Deceased’s remains were buried to-day in the Alartinborough cemetery, » little knot of his mates—tho men who- had found his dead body, and carried: it by shoulder-borne stretcher, pack-horse and brako from, where it was found to Alartinborough township—standing round. Ross, tho runaway sailor," who was with Collinsou the night ho was shot, had a terrible experience in the bush. Two minutes after the gun, was tired, Rosa found his comrade doubled up at the bottom of a bank, dead, with a* horrible wound in his body. Ross knew nothing of tho country. Ho had only arrived from Wellington four or five days previously, and although it was only twenty minutes’ walk to the camp, ho lost himself almost immediately. For hours and hours he wandered aimlessly about and at -last sank down exhausted With fatigue and fear. There he was found next morning by searchers from the camp. Tho body was left where it lay all Saturday night, and at 8.30 on Sunday morning tho task of carrying it to tho township commenced. -For three miles it was carried on a stretcher, for two and a half on a pack-horse, and driven the rest of tho way. It is asserted that a. station hand who piloted the Alartinborongb constable.to tho place where the body lay was fired at twice on his way homo. Police are being brought from all round 1 tho country.

THE INQUEST.

EVIDENCE OF OOLLINSON’S MATE. THE FINDING OF THE BODY. SHOT THROUGH THE HEART. MARTINBOROUGH, February 29. An inquest was opened at Ma-rtin-boroygh to-day on the body of the man Oollinson, who was Plundered on To Awaitc station last Friday aft-eknoou. The' following were the jury;—John William Kershaw (foreman), Thomas Frederick Evans. Joseph John Jackson, . ~ugii Mackay, Murdock Ross, Daniei McGill liestcr. , inspector Ellison represented tho ponce. Tho jury viewed the body, which was lying in a coffin. Tho chest was much discolourcNi There was evidence of a wound just above the hears. Arthur Edward Albert Palmer, mbdicail practitioner. Featlierston. who took oath by affirmation, said ho know deceased. He made a post-mortem examination of the body yesterday evening at Martiuborough. Found two external wounds on the body. ' There wore no other external marks of violence. One wound, a quarter of an inch in diameter, was in tho back, in the seventh left interspace, three inches and a half to tho left of the middle line. The doctor showed a rough sketch, showing the wound in front of the body. There was a wound three inches and a quarter in diameter three inches below the nipple, two inches and a quarter left of the middle line. The left lung was severely wounded'. The ventricles of tho heart were shattered and lacerated, and the sixth rib in front was shattered. Tho direction of the missile which caused the wound was downwards, forwards and slightly inwards. The back wound presented a circular, punched out appearance. The wound in front was somewhat circular, but jagged. In witness's opinion, tho cause of death was rupture of tho heart. The wound

was traced from back to front with a probe. Ho considered the missile entered at the baoii, traversed the chest and came out in front. There was Homing else to caiuso death, which was instantaneous. The wound appeared to have been cause.. oy a bullet-.

.By the Coroner: The wound could not have been caused by Collinson himself. There wore no indications of close contact with the muzzle of a gun. The shot was fired from some distance.

By Inspector Ellison: The manner in which the bullet traversed the body wouyl depend whether Collinson was in r.n upright or a stooping position. If he was m an upright position the missile must have come from a higher position than he was. If Collinson were in a

joping position, the gun must have been fircc-i irum a sun Higher position. Tho shot must have come from above Collinson. Witness had no doubt that the wound was caused by a billet. Alfred William Koss, tho principal witness, is a young man with a sandy moustache. Ho is apparently about twenty-four years of age. He spoko indistinctly. He -said bo was employed on Gollinson's contract on To Awai'e station since last Wednesday. First met deceased when ho engaged him for scrub-cutting. Ilcmcmbc-red going to work on Friday morning with sixothers, including Collinson. All went out together. None- of the party bad firearms. Worked on that- job till din-nor-timo. Then witness and Collinson left tho others and went some distance over the hills to another burned clearing. It was about three miles away, and took an hour and a half. to get there. y Worked all afternoon with Colliiison, putting up flag polos for measuring a contract. Abojit a quarter to 5 p.m. witness left Collinson sitting on a track and went across twenty yards to chop a polo. Witness had been there only two minutes, and was unflor cover when ho heard tho report of a rifle. Hoard Collinson groan and saw him roll over on his left sido down a bank. Witness at once looked for smoke, but saw nothing. Saw no one but Collinson. After seeing deceased roll, witness spoke to him, but got no answer. There was blood where Collinson was first sitting. Collinson was lying on his back, and blood was coming from him. Deceased was wearing dungaree clothes and a white cotton shirt and singlet. As soon as ho heard the report of the rifle witness looked round. Colliison was.in a crouching position on his left side. Ho then took a cant, and rolled down a bank. Collinson was still sitting when first seen -after tho shot was fired. Noticed nothing then, but next morning saw Collinson's pipe and match-box. If anybody had been within forty yards of deceased on the elope of the hill, witness would have seen them.. There was no cover on the slope of tho bill. Witness thought, tho shot liad come clean over his (witness's) -head, where he was chopping. When Collinson was sitting down ho was facing witness. Collinson left, his watch. with the other men. Had never been in the gully before. After seeing that Collinson was dead, witness tried to make his way back to camp, but ho got lost amongst some scrub. Witness was in the scrub between five and six hours. Heard no ono about during that time. Witness coo-eed ” repeatedly, but got noi answer. After -becoming exhausted, witness sat down. At daylight - witness again tried to find bis way to camp, but did not succeed. Whilst roaming about ho was found by McDonough and Welter—inen from the camp who- had come to look for witness and Collinson. Witness 'oxxrlained what had occurred, and wont with, them towards the camp. On the way they oamo upon the body. It was still lying in the same position. Witness heard no shots nor any sound from the time Collinson was shot until witness was found by his mates. Witness was a seafaring man and only loft the sea three weeks ago. This was the first time witness liadi been in bush country., Tho report of the gun seemed to be very close to witness.-

Albert Welters, who was employed as cook a); Colliuson’e camp for tho past eight months and a half—and six weeks prior to that at ordinary work—said lie knew deceased well. As far «s witness knew, CoJlinson was on good terms with everybody. On Friday- morning Collinson went by .himself to work after the other -men had! left. Witness had charge of the stores. Colliuson asked for matches, aa ho wanted to burn a block qn _ which ho mas contracting, and which was to bo passed on tho following morning by Mr Bunny. . Witness coiroborated the evidence of the previous witness regarding the search and the finding of Colliuson’s dead body. Know McKenzie well. Ho had not seen McKenzie lately at tho camp. Witness went to Waipawa three weeks ago to get some flour. Colliuson .was then in bed sick.. As far fas witness could remember, the dat-o was February Gt-li. Witness left tho camp' about eighto'clock, returned., and went to Collinson’s tent to. eee if bo wanted anything. Oollinsoh asked “ Have you! seen anybody about?” Witness answered; “ No.” Colliuson then answered: “Somebody looked in the tent about niuo o’clock, and said, ‘ Oh, I see you’re in bod; I’ll see you again.’ Coflinso-n said ‘Como in, como in; it’s all right.’ The man went straight- away.” Oollin-eo-u said ho was expecting the man back any minute, and told witness to keep his eiy-os open. On the following Sunday mbruing, when McDonough said ho had seen MeKonzio in the camp on the night previously, Collins-on then said, “Ah, that’s who it was who looked in at, my tent. I aim almost sure of it.” Last shearing Colliuson told witness ho thought ho knew who McKenzie was. Believed Oollins'on said McKenzie’s namo was Ellis.

•Dr Palmer, recalled, said it was impossible the wound on Collinson’s bodv could have been caused by a Snider cartridge. It could not be cauoed by an ordinary .smooth-boro ebot-gun, but it might have been caused by such a bullet as one produced—a .303, or ono of similar description. , Constable James Sheary. in charge of Martinborough station, produced the clothing of deceased. The singlet was blood-stained. The bole in front of the garment was much larger than the ono at the back. The shirt was similarly marked. The wound itsjs caused by an expansive bullet. Witness went to To Awaite station, and there, fully five miles from the homestead, and one mile from the camp, saw the body of deceased as described by McDonough and Welters. A wooden pipe was lying five yards from the body. The right leg was bent across the body; the left arm was outstretched with a box of matches close to the band. Deceased was on his back, partly on the left tide, with a bat over the face. Witness assisted to convey the body to camp. The clothing produced was taken from deceased. Noticed that the boles in the clothing corresponded with tho wounds on the body. Alfred Ross, re-examined, said there was a man seen,on the hills on Thursday morning by tho* men as they were going to work. The man had a him? coat on, but witness could not say whether he carried,a gun. Tho man was fully three hundred yards away. Patrick McDonough, an employee of Collinson’s since January 6th, 1904, said

ho was usually engaged shifting camps when required, and had worked with deceased oil' and on for the past ten years. On Friday morning, when the men wont cut to work, witness, with John, Grant, employed on Te Awaiio, wont pig-hunting. Got hack to camp wmi four pigs about twenty-live minutes past nine. In the afternoon t hey skinned tho pigs, and stayed in camp all night. XeitUw Collinson nor Ross returned^ to camp that evening. AA'itness and AN niters. his mate, lired several shots, and coo-eed, trying to attract attention, it was an understood thing at camp to tiro shots when any of tho men did not como home. In tho morning, between sevon and eight, witness and AVoltcrs made for tho block which was being measured. Saw Ross at tho top end or tho block. Coo-eed out to Ross, who did not answer at first, but then, on another call, received an answer. AVitnesa called. '-Come over here.” Ross answered: “No; you had better como to me.” AVituos and his mate wont down and asked Ross whore “Lon” was. Rosa held up s hands, and answered, “Oh, bo’s shot.” AVhen spoken to, Ross first said, “Is that yon, Jerry?” Ross said that Collinson was away over at the hick, pointing to tho opposite direction AVhen Collinson was found, they asked how Collinson was shot. Ross answered, “Ron told me to get a flag pole. Just m I got out of cover I heard a report of a, gun. 1 looked around and saw Leu fall. I stopped him from lolling into the creek.” Ross said ha thought the shot was fired right over his head. Ross said further that Collinson wan flitting down when tho shot was fired. As far as witness knew, Collmsen was on good terms with everybody in the ©imp. Ho was well liked. On Friday evening witness had tea with V.H tho man, except Collinson and Ross, at about 5.30 or 5.-15. There were two guns in camp, a shot-gun and a Snider carbine. They wore owned by Collinsou. The carbine was used by witnesis pig-hunting. The carbine fired - a much larger bullet than that of a ;303 AA inchcster. There were no small-bored guns in camp. AVitncss and lilts mates, after being told of what had occurred by Boss, went near tho crock. AVplters ©xolaiimed: “Good God, bore he is.” They then saw tho body. It' was lying on its back. Tho hat was over tho face, and ono log was doubled up. Deceased had evidently rolled after being_ shot, as blood was seen above tho body. At. the t'pot where Collinson was lying tiro hill was very stoop. Did not touch tho body, but walked towards camp. Mot Mr Bunny, tho manager, and unformed him ,of tho tragedy, and stated that they wore going to got a pack-homo in order to take Collinson’s body back to camp. Runny said: “Do not touch the body until I send to Marbinborouigh.” About three weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, saw a man known as Jack McKenzie about 'the . camp. AVitncss had got up to got a drink of tea, MoKenzio was iu the Iltoheai, standing in front of tho tiro eating. There was a r'(1o lying by tho chimney; the riflo appeared to bo ' similar to a .303, which fires a very small cartridge. AVas alino&t sure it was a. .303 rifle. Spoke to MoIvcnd.o, and said “ Good night.” McKenzie answered “ Good day. Is Oollinson back yob?” Witness said “Yes; tho man’s asleep.” McKenzie answered, “ Oh. X won’t wiako Inm sec him in the morning.” McKenzie then went away. AVitncss was barefooted. and McKenzio did not see him till witness was night upon him. At first thought McKenzie was ono of the camp men. There was no- reason why McKenzie should ho there. He was not employed at the. camp. First, saw McKenzie two years ago. Collinson had said that McKenzie had worked for him. After McKenzie had gone witness wont to bed. As far as witness knew, McKenzie never came to tho camp in tho morning, and had not been there since. Collinson told witness that McKenaio had been there la.st winter, and had been sacked by Collinson. A sheep walS supposed to have been shot, for which McKenzie had, been, blamed. Collinson stated 'that he thought that’ McKenzie was nob really named McKenzie at all, bub was Ellas, and had been charged with rape at Greytown, and no omd over saw his back, because ha had been flogged; Witness had to get meat for tho camp, and niiio or ten da'ys ago. when out xyig-hunting, saw a man whom ho took to bo McKenzie in tho same block whore Collinson mot his death. Ho was threo or font hundred yards away. ' Could not toll if McKenzie then carried a rifle, as there was a lob of smoke about. There, was a stag near the -man, and that was what first attracted witness’s attention. Witness knew that McKenzie was a poacher. ’That w r as the only reason ho could! have for being in the vicinity. CoMinson’s men were allowed to. kf.ll hinds and pigs by tho To Awaito station-holders. Did not know that Collinson was deputed to look after deer for anybody. AVhon first, seen Ross had only a pair of trousers on, and had taken his singlet off. - Ho was marked with scrub outlie hack, and was in a bad stale. McKenzie had been ordered ofl To Await© dnd Glenburn stations a year, ago. for x>oaching. AAhtness • knew that McKenzie, killed hinds whan ho had no right to. On tho application of Inspector Ellison, who wished to obtain? morn evidence. if possible, iho inquest was adjourned till March 9th, at 10.30'a.m., at Martinborough. The Inspector said there were a groat many rumours in circulation, and they would have to ho sifted. There might he much more evidence—there, might not.

AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT.

THE LAST SEEN OP Mc'KENZIK

In connciotmn with the murder of Coillnson, Patrick McDonough, who. gave important evidence at the inquest tp-day, made a further important statemoal to mo after the adjournment. He stated! that at 4 o’clock on tho morning of the murder he was out looking for moat for tho men in camp, when lie saw Ellis, or, as ho is .better known, McKenzie, standing on the very ridge from uhich Colliuson is supposed to have been Ellis was four or live hundred yards away. McDonough says he is turd it was him.

Asked why lie did nob make this statement at tho inquest, McDonough replied that he was afraid to, because Ellis might shoot him when ho got back to the camp. .

When Keen by McDonough previously in the camp kitchen, Ellis was wearing a khaki jacket, doer-stalker hat, a broad belt, and short leggings. Mr Campbell, manager of the Stoney Creek station, states that a few weeks ago ono of hiw wbares was burgled, and a , khaki suit stolon.