THE LITTLE RIVER MURDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1679, 5 October 1887, Page 2

THE LITTLE RIVER MURDER.

Regarding thn murder, of which, we published a bri f telegram last evening, the following txtra was issued by tbe " Akaroa Mail " :- " About 10 o'clov k od Monday ci ;ht a murder was committed at Little River on the verandah o£ the Lake Fcrsyth Arms Hotel. It appears that a party of three Russian Finns, working at Mr Coop's sawmill, went to the hotel about 9 o'clock Mr MoNae, the late proprietor^ was bidding good-bye to hi* friends, and there was a good deal of joviality, b ngs being sung a-jd bo od . The men carve m and stood there while a song was being sung, and then all three went into the dining room where they had Borne refreshments by themselves, Two of thorren had words. The men'B namea are n^t kDown, but there is one much 1 igger than the other two, and it was suid that it was the bigger mnn was quarrelling with ODe of the small ones, while the other held aloof. After a time, however, the quarrel E69med to ceaae. George Robinsou, a hall-caste, having gone m to pacify them, they went out together at 10 minutes to 10 by the front door on to the verandah, JNo noise appears to have been heard, but a short time afterwards a imn named Leon, on going out, Baw a man lying on the verandah, as he thought, dead drunk, and the big Finn Btanding a short distance off, ready for going away. Leon ppoke to the Finn about leaving his mate, saying that it was not the right thing to leave hia mate there drunk. The Finn replied m his own totigue, as Leon understood him to mean to the effect that his mate was all right where he was Leon then went m, but shortly after went out aguin with a man named Kay, and a lad named Lichens. Hicueus lit a match, looked at the auppoHed drunken man, and holding it t > hid fa:e noticed it was ghastly white. There w.»a a general exclamation that he was dead, and then they noticed blood on the clothes. Looking further they fonnd thelclothoa were m plaois saturated with blood from dreadful ataba, one of which appeared to be right m the heart ml the other m the entrails, bdlow tbja nave!. They then ran m and gave the alarm, and it was ascertained that the mm was dead. George Robinson then at onoa saddled his horae, and started m pursuit of the big Finn, and overtook him some 200 yards from the Hotel. He went up to him with a bottle saying, *• Maio have a drink," and threw the man qnick'y, being afraid of hia knife, and bound him with a Btrap. The others coming np be was taken to the look-up. Geor^a Robinson In the meanwhile wa3 afcer the other Finn, whom he founi between Joblm's Btore and Ooopa Mill. This man cairn baok quietly also and they were b >th looked up. Constable Ryan w»3 <*way but they were safely looked op after their pocnetsboing nearohod and their aoats taken from them. Nothing waa found on them but some matohes and tobacco. There was a little koife— quite incapable of giving the ataba — found on the smaller man, and there was a Blight wound on the right hand of the bigger man, but this might have been caused by his filling on the ground. It waa at once deoidtd to communicate with Akaroa. The telegraph office called Akaroa, but without avail, and then there waa a difficulty m getting horaes, It was gettiug on for 3 a.m. when yonng Mr Uicheoa got away with news, and he reaohod .aliaroa between 6 and 7 a.m , and at once informed the polioe, who aent Constable Crockett off to the .River.' The body w&b left where it waa till the arrival of the constable. The inquest will be held at noon to-morrow.