SHOCKING MURDER OF A NEPHEW OF MR LAYAFD'S AT WAGA WAGA.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1679, 6 July 1875, Page 4

SHOCKING MURDER OF A NEPHEW OF MR LAYAFD'S AT WAGA WAGA.

fritoM papers bf the Hero we have received particulars of pc mysterious murder of Mr Layard, a neyie'w of Mr Layard late ActingGovernor of/iji. and related to Mr Layard, of NinevejyCelebrity. The Wagga Wagga Express s-y8 "•— On Saturday morning la3t the town*as thrown into excitement by the circulate of a rumour to the effect that the body c a roan, who had evidently come to bis (^h by foul means, had been discove^d in the river near the wharf. At a fc P t mid-day the report was fully confined. It appears that Mr Planer, the c oper, was pulling in his boat below the >ridge. and was told by some person on the river bank that a dead man was 'floating down the stream He at first regarded this as chaff, induced by the fact of his having been instrumental in recovering several bodies at different times ; but eventually he rowed to the spot indicated by his informant, and there found the body caught in the branch of a tree. With the assistance of a second person who was in the boat with him, he brought it to the bank, and communicated with the police. The body was that of a young man about 28 years of age, dressed in a light tweed suit, white socks, and elasticside boots. Subsequent examination of the remains showed that the skull was fractured — the -wounds being inflicted apparently by some blunt instrument. From papers found in the pockets of the unfortunate map, it •would appear that his name is P. Raymond Layard. The length of time that the body had been in the water (some nine ot ten days, according to the medical testimony) made the work of unfolding the papers a work of great difficulty, and the portion of the envelope of a letter bearing the name was wanting, so that, although the first letter hears every resemblance to "P," this cannot be df finitely set at rest. In addition to this, there was a memorandum from the Oriental Banking Company, Melbourne, referring to a post-office order for £3 14s, forwarded to Raymond Layard. It is stated that the deceased was well-connected—his uncle being Mr Layard, previously British Consul in, and subsequently acting-Governoi of Fiji. The letter above referred to was written from Saumarez street, Guernsey, and was signed by the sister of deceased, Louisa Layard. Strange to say, it contained a reference to the 'recent murder of Mr Margary, .in China, with whom, from the tone of the reference, it appeared deceased and the writer were on intimate terms. After persevering efforts bj the police to obtain the identification of the deceased, it was discovered that one Eaymond Layard had come to Wapga, in April last and had pone, on the 23rd April, tc Mr Tibeaudo's Star Hotel, which he had left on the 26th May, since which date Mi Tibeaudo had never seen him,, but he was seen by one Mr Johnson the same evening, talking to some one on the lagoon bridge. Mr Tibeaudo was unabk to swear positively to the deceased as Layard, owing to the post-mortem examination having been commenced, which, of course, materially lessened the means of recognition. But he expressed his opinion that the remains were those of Layard, and stated confidently that the clothes worn by deceased were exactly similar to those oi Ms former lodger. The identification by John Martin, a groom at the Australian Hotel, who had been on intimate terms with Layard, was, from the cause above mentioned also incomplete. Martin spoke to deceased's general resemblance to Layard. But the information obtained from these sources as well as the papers found, on the body clearly leave room for no reasonable doubt that the murdered man is Raymond Layard. There is an absence of direct evidence as to the motive which prompted the mprderer to the deed, but some of the facts point to jealously upon the part of some person-at present unknown, although the police are upon the track of one against whom there appears to be strong suspicion. Layard came to Wagga from I'rana, where he had been previously employed, his intention being to obtain employment in the town. From r the evidence of Martin, it would appear that/he had become attached to some female, who had, however, discountenanced his attentions. This had caused him, according to Martin's statement, to be low-spirited. The position of the wounds, however, forbids the assumption of his having sustained them by coming in contact with any hard substance after a fall, bo that the possibility of his having committed suicide by jumping into the 'river from a height is disposed of. The apparent cause for the crime, as stated before, being jealousy is strengthened by facts since the inqaest. The pockets of the deceased's trowers were turned inside out, but there exists but very ' slight likelihood of robbery being the primary cause of the murder. It might have been resorted to after the fatal blow, or the ' turning out of the pockets have been merely a ruse upon the part of the.murderer to disarm suspicion. But instead of Layard being supposed to have any money, the evidence went rather to show the contrary. It appears he was in receipt of a small annuity from home, but at the time of the murder he was generally supposed to be low in funds, and it is hardly likely that_any person who would commit a murder for gain would imperil his life for so vague a chance of such slight booty. Layard had the reputation among those who knew him of beiag a quiet and well-conducted young man. Rumour is, of course, busy in indicating the probable murderer or murderers. The matter is however, in the hands of the police, by whom, doubtless, no exertion will be spared in bringing him or them to justice. We may add that* the post-office' order to which reference was made has not yet been cashed. In consequence of the suspicions which were aroused, an examination of the river-bank at the point where it was suspected the murder took place was made, but unfortunately the river has been in flood since the propable date assigned, so that if any marks existed which would add a link to tbe chain already in possession of the police, they are covered by the deposit of mud which a fresh leaves. At the inquest the jury returned the following verdict: —"The deceased, Raymond Layard, was, on a date unknown, feloniously killed and murdered by some person or per- . sons unknown."