THE MURDER AT GEMMELL'S

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 188, 29 April 1918, Page 6

THE MURDER AT GEMMELL'S

NO SIGN OF THE SUSPECT COUNTRY WIDELY SEARCHED A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER By Telegraph—Press Aesociation. Oamaru, April 28. Although a wholo iortiiiglit has passed siucu tho murder of George Hurke at Gemmcll's Crossing, on (lie Kakanui Kiver, the police state that they have no authentic evidence of Onslow Mayhew, who is suspected of the crime, having hatn suen. since he disappeared £>n the night oi the tragedy, a diligent search has been made of the Kakanui ltiver bed and the countryside in the vicinity, but no trace cr *ign of Mayhew has been found as far us ths police can ascertain. No settler for miles wound has missed any food, and nothing lias been disturbed which would indicate that the iugitive had been foraging. Mounted police have patrolled the back country roads, and have visited the- wayl»ck stations, one party of mounted police going through DanseyV Pass as far as Nasoby. A Mysterious Itranger. The settlers on the Alatraweka Settlement, d few miles' south-west ,of the scene of the tragedy, emphatically declare that a. man lias lwen seen on several ocoasions in the ilusk of the evening, whose presence in the vicinity so far has not been explained. On Tuesday omiing, at a quarter to aix, the wife of a settler living in one of tho loneliest parts of the settlement, saw a man cross the (road about three hundred yards from tho house, and disappear into a plantation, while her husband declares that a little later ho saw tho same stranger making -towards the settler's house. The settler hurried inside to prepare for any emergency, and on reappearing almost immediately discovered that the strangor h;>Jdisappeared. The next evening tho i>ife of another sutler about two niiJee further west was returning about half-past nye through the fields from a neighbouring farm to reach her home. It was necessary to s cross a email stream, stepping from point to point. The woman had just got across the stream when she camo face to face with a strange man in a sitting position among the high rushes. The woman got such a surprise that she only glanced at the intruder, and hurried to her home, about 150 yards distant. She declares that the stranger was a big man, and had a considerable growth of whiskers onnie face. The deep impress in 'ho tall grassamong tho high rushes vhjch sheltered the stranger from the cold wind blowing at the timo is still plainly risible. The woman rushed to a neighbouring settiers house (about a quarter <>f a mile), in full sight of the stranger, who made off before assistance v-as.. obtained. Mounted police and detectives are busy scouring that locality.

Condition of the Injured Women. The condition of Miss Mary Burke, who was shot through the' lung, is much improved, and 6he vi in very good spirits. Mrs. Bambury is making good progress. A piece of lead, believed to be a softnosed bullet, was extracted from Mrs. Bambury's wound at the beginning of the week. It is suggested by the, settlers that in view of tlio wide oxpanse of 'country to , be covered rnd the anxiety of the settlers that the jolice should .be very materially reinforced, and a day and night search'and patrol maintained.