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Coroners reports showed that Flood had sustained three blows from an axe. One had struck the rear of his head which was followed by two heavy blows at the back of his head, severing his spinal column with either causing death. The blows were so deep they nearly severed Flood's head from his body. The key for Flood's home was soon located by the grounds keeper for the Picton
Croquet Club when it was found on the green and handed in to police.
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Tarrant was known to be a skilled left-handed axeman making him a prime suspect prior to the discovery of the banknotes on his person. Detectives discovered that upon throwing the keys of James Flood's home from the
Tarrant property, they landed almost exactly where they had been found by the Croquet
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Walter Edward
Tarrant was an Australian-born wood merchant who resided in the town of Picton with his wife and children. He was married to a woman named Eugenie Anne and had at least five children during his marriage. On 3 November 1931 the property of local resident James Flood was searched after
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containing notes that fit the description on his person, Tarrant was arrested and charged with Flood's murder. The case gained widespread interest after the skull of James Flood was used as evidence during the court proceedings in the case against Edward
Tarrant. Its appearance was described as;
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and had obtained considerable savings through farming alongside his brother Joseph and Jerome on what was his parents' property known as
Starmount. Flood was known to keep large sums of money on his persons and that he had a custom-made pocket attached to the inside of his coat for his wallet.
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In June 1932 Tarrant was intercepted at
Blenheim after a report by a local business stated he paid for items with old English banknotes in large denominations. These types of banknotes were suggested to be the type that James Flood had kept his savings in. After a false pocket was discovered
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I remember that the lower jaw was held in place by a small brass coil spring either side, looped over brass dowels inserted in the upper and lower jaws. The skull dome had been sawn right around and could be lifted off like a cap and was located by brass
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and likely to have been swung by a left-handed assailant. James Flood was 76 and a bachelor who had been living quietly out of a small cottage in
Canterbury Street when the crime was committed. He was a native of
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On 29 November 1932 Tarrant was found guilty of murder by Hon. Justice Blair and sentenced to death. After staring blankly at the jury's findings he replied "I never did it". Tarrant was hanged at
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with a headstone that read "Murdered by Edward
Tarrant". Due to descendants of Tarrant still residing in the area, it was decided to replace the inscription with "Murdered in Picton".
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Flood had not been accountable for some days. He was found on his back in front of his fireplace with large wounds to the neck. These were later found to have been committed by an
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on the 6 March 1933 a few minutes before 8 o'clock. His final words were "Nothing", in response to
Sherriff W. W. Samson asking if he had anything final to say. He was buried at
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Clubs groundskeeper. Tarrant was known to have befriended Flood and had spent time with him at a property in the Boons Valley,
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catholic section in an unmarked grave. James Flood was buried at
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208:. He was convicted of the murder of James Flood in the
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600:Fairweather, Kenneth McKay (1990). "Exhibit A".
491:Fairweather, Kenneth McKay (1990). "Exhibit A".
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525:. Vol. 63. 5 February 1932. p. 12
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472:. Vol. 63. 5 February 1932. p. 12
444:. Vol. 63. 5 February 1932. p. 12
416:. Vol. 63. 24 November 1932. p. 5
677:People executed by New Zealand by hanging
672:People convicted of murder by New Zealand
553:. Vol. 27. 7 March 1933. p. 5
662:New Zealand people convicted of murder
642:20th-century executions by New Zealand
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249:Kenneth. M. Fairweather, "Exhibit A",
652:Australian people convicted of murder
200:was a New Zealand axeman who was the
602:Sounds Picnic: Old Marlborough Tales
493:Sounds Picnic: Old Marlborough Tales
251:Sounds Picnic: Old Marlborough Tales
647:Australian emigrants to New Zealand
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380:"Betty helped to catch a murderer"
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657:Australian people executed abroad
604:. Cape Catley. pp. 32–33.
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581:. 30 November 1932. p. 2
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16:Executed New Zealand murderer
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667:Executed New Zealand people
495:. Cape Catley. p. 30.
360:. 26 August 1932. p. 5
332:. 26 August 1932. p. 5
304:. 24 August 1932. p. 6
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85:, Wellington, New Zealand
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202:73rd person to be hanged
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550:King Country Chronicle
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117:Edward Tarrant's Grave
111:-41.275017; 174.750900
268:Mount Crawford Prison
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54:Mount Crawford Prison
23:Walter Edward Tarrant
573:"Picton Murder Case"
296:"PICTON MURDER CASE"
159:Eugenie Anne Tarrant
141:lumberman and fencer
73:Execution by hanging
517:"THE PICTON MURDER"
464:"THE PICTON MURDER"
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69:Cause of death
436:"MURDER IN WHARE"
388:. 4 December 2012
301:Northern Advocate
272:Karori Cemetery's
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522:Evening Star
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96:174°45.054′E
48:(1933-03-06)
46:6 March 1933
637:1933 deaths
632:1874 births
206:New Zealand
109: /
93:41°16.501′S
62:New Zealand
687:Axe murder
626:Categories
578:Otaki Mail
282:References
115: (
58:Wellington
220:Biography
36:Australia
247:—
212:town of
150:Executed
261:Waikawa
244:dowels.
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585:10 May
529:10 May
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476:10 May
253:(1990)
214:Picton
176:Murder
156:Spouse
557:9 May
448:9 May
420:9 May
392:8 May
385:Stuff
364:8 May
336:8 May
308:8 May
606:ISBN
587:2022
559:2022
531:2022
497:ISBN
478:2022
450:2022
422:2022
394:2022
366:2022
338:2022
310:2022
43:Died
32:1874
29:Born
227:axe
204:in
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