SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT PRESERVATION INLET.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1057, 21 July 1882, Page 3

SUPPOSED SUICIDE AT PRESERVATION INLET.

Sometime ago Captain. Fairchild, on returning from the West Const Sounds in the Stella, reported that a bird-catcher named Wheeler was missing. The Stella from the same locality arrived at Wellington last Thursday, and Captain Fairchild has cour teously given me some more particulars regarding this somewhat mysterious affair. It appears that the lighthouse keeper at K'sbeo Bay, Preservation Inlet, recently found Wheeler’s dog roaming about in that neighborhood. Further search revealed Wheeler’s camp, with his Iwa", some blankets, and a lot of ■ inis. Two of his blankets and his revo'vor, however, were missing. There was also discovered a newspaper, on which there was some writing in pencil, addressed to a Wellington detective, and commencing in the following extraordinary strain:— Sir, —You have tried your verv best to connect me with some families in Tasmania. [am well aware of a libel pending against me by the Jackson’s Bay Jabens, but vou are on the wrong track for finding tnv father. My name is William John, hut not Wheeler. 1, in sporting jest, took the name and genea logy of one that I knew, hut not in Tasmania, and the best of the lark is that genealogy did not belong to the one that gave it to me, hut was taken from one who was said to ho respectable, and one whom 1 never knew. The place called Tasmania I never saw. Mil know of it is from natives whom I heard in conversation, and from . studying the geography of the colonics. The writer then goes on to say that rumors were floated against him because he exposed a mining swmd'e through his knowledge of geology. In conclusion he savs ; I have set your country on five. The rich m n n are afraid to allow me to live through t l, e fear of exposure, and have derided to . put me to death hy poison at your pleasure. I am readv to meet find. If. may be sta’ed that tho general imnres- . sion in the district is that Whoe’er has committed suicide. Ho had been vcv st ange i in bis manner of late, and complained of see- < I ing bine devils Captain Fairchild made np I a party of bis crew, and, together with Mr Butler and Mr Ward (Te White's custo- : dinns), searched all day for the missing man, I but without success. The following day e I Messrs Ward and Butler made another 1 search, but again without discovery of any further traces of Wheeler.