FARMER MURDERED WHILE ASLEEP

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 285, 26 August 1920, Page 4

FARMER MURDERED WHILE ASLEEP

TRAGEDY IN PUKEKAWA DISTRICT SHOT THROUGH WINDOW AT MIDNIGHT By Tolesranh- Pres> Association. Auckland, August 25. News • was received in Auckland this afternoon of the murder of a well-knowu resident of the Pukekawa district, near Tuakau. The victim, Mr. Sydney Seymour Eyre, retired with his family last night at !) o'clock, and three hours later had his head almost blown off by a shotgun. . From first particulars received of the tragedy it appears that Mr. and Mrs. Eyre and their family of five children, tho eldest of whom is a boy of 1G years, retired for the night shortly after 9 o'clock, husband and wife occupying different beds in the same room. Eyre was a returned soldier, having served at the. front for alwut two years, and 6ince hia return it had been his custom to 6leep, near the window, which he kept wide open for health reasons. About midnight Mrs. Eyre was 6tartled from her sleer; by the sound of an explosion, and looking towards her husband she cried out to a,sk what was the matter. No reply came, but in the moonlight that was filtering into the room 6he 6iw something strange in his position and appearance. Hastily striking a light, 6ho saw that her husband was dead, the upper part of his head having been blown off. Sho heard no sound without, and saw no one, but realised that, he must have lieeii fired at while asleep by 6omcone standing just outsido the open wirfdov,', the glass of which was shattered by the shpek of tho explosion. The noise of tho shot also awakened the children, and tlw two eldar boys were pent by their mother to the Pukekawa Post Office, whenco an urgent summons reached Sergeant Cowan and Dr. Wake, of Pukekohe, at about .1 a.m. No.-time was lost in setting out for the scene of the tragedy. -. . So far as can be ascertained, the victim, who was a man of a very kindly disposition, and "highly, respected, had no enemies. The perpetrator of the crime was evidently acquainted with Eyre's custom of sleeping close to an open windoff, and chose a. night when there- was sufficient moonlight to enable him to cany out bis purpose. The nature of the wound showed that a sliotsun had been used for the murder, and the indications were that it had been actually rested on the window-sill when fired. Mr. Evre was a, slieepfarmer and contractor and before the war was a member of the''Raglan County Council. About three and a half years ngo ill-health rent him on a trio to California, and while Hicre he enlisted in the Canadian Highland -Itoiment, returning from war s-rvice about twelve months ago. I lie deceased-was about 48 years of age. The hmw at! which tlw trasedy occurred is situated alrut a mile xnd three-quarters from the Pukekawa Post Office, and stands some .distance from the main