ARREST IN PIHA CASE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 13

ARREST IN PIHA CASE

Man Believed To Be Gordon McKay

CLIMAX TO SEARCH Motor-car Intercepted In Parnell Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, March 22. The Piha fire case reached its sensational climax outside a house in Parnell at 10 o’clock tonight with the arrest of a man alleged to be Gordon Robeit McKay, aged 43, the Australian hides and skin merchant who has been missing since the eaiiy morning fire at a Piha bach on February 12. Acting on information received early this week that a strange man with a beard had recently taken up residence in the Parnell district, DetectiveSergeants J. Trethewey and I’. N. Alpin made inquiries. They ascertained that a man answering to McKay’s description was living at a certain house. They worked quietly and as the result of careful investigation they decided to wait at the address given. The two detectives waited for two hours tonight and at about 10 o’clock they intercepted a motor-car with three people in it; a bearded man, another man, and a woman. When the ear stopped the police officers accosted the man with the beard, who allegedly denied that he was McKay. The detectives believed he was the man and asked him to go with them to the detective office in O'Rorke Street. Upon his arrival there he was formally charged with improperly interfering with human remains and was taken Into custody.

It is said that the man who was arrested was dressed in ordinary street clothes, his one distinguishing feature being his beard. Exactly five weeks ago DetectiveSergeants Trethewey and Alpin, under the direction of Inspector R. J. Ward, began their investigations at the instance of three insurance companies who discovered after the fire that McKay was insured for a total of £50,000.