DEAD MAN'S COAT FOUND

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1947, Page 5

DEAD MAN'S COAT FOUND

CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 5. The latfest development in the investigations into the mysterious circumstances surrouhdihg the fi-nding of the bOdy of Willi&m Keefe Olds is the disCOvery by City Council workmgn Of an ovOrcoat in the Avon River which the jbolicO believe was Old's. in the pocket of thO coat were k number of tablets which were similar in appearance to the other tablets found in the dead mari's iugg-age. These tablets have been submitted to an analyst for a report. The police have not yet any definite ihfo'rmation regarding the circumstances surroundirig Old's death. In respohse to a request yesterday for information from any people who thought that they might be abie to thrOw light on the matter, they have received many dalls. The Superihtendeht of Police ih Christchurch, Mr, H. Scott, who iS in charge of the dnvestigation, said that all this information WOiild have to be sifted and checked. Tffis. would be a labdrious task. He added. that meahwhile extensive inquiries were beirig pursued in Wellington. Mystery still surrounds the movements of deceased from the time that he left his boarding house on Friday everiing,- " never to return,until his. death sorhetime dur'ifig the weekend. The body was found at 8.45 a.m. yesterday and its appeardnee stiggested that it had been dead fof frOM twelyO to twenty hours. Though this would suggest that his death occurred sometime on Sunday, the reasons why he did hOt return to his boardihg house oh Friday bvening, and was not seen Oh Saturday, havb still tt) be tinc"over§d. The second majbr tjuestiOn which i

cohfrdiits the police is the cause of death. The batholOgist's re-^ pbrt will iiot be available for some tinie, Givihg evidenee of identificatiOii before the coroner, Mr. Raymond Feriier, S.Mq at an inguest this mor'hihg, Jack Grahviile Brewer, Company manager, ll • Waikari Aveniie,- LoWfir Hutt, said that he was an adopted nephew of de^ ceased. Witness said. that the last" Occasion on. which he had seen Olds- alive was at 7.30 p.m. on Thtirsday, When- OldS" had been in his office jtist before leaving to eateh the stCamer express for Lyttelton. The mdtiest was adjourhed sirie die.