THE GREAT BARRIER TRAGEDY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1285, 15 October 1886, Page 3

THE GREAT BARRIER TRAGEDY.

Auckland, October 8. j The New Zealand * Herald’s’ Sydney correspondent sends the following particulars ( re Caffrey in a cablegram dated Sydney, s October 7 : J The prisoner John Caffrey. who is charged ® with the murder of Robert Taylor at Tryphena Harbour, Great Barrier Island, on the 13th June, and who was arrested at Fermonnt, a small town on the Bellringer river, was brought np on remand before the , magistrate at Boat Harbour, iho principal town district, on Tuesday, The arrest of * the chief actor in a crime of so tragic a character and invested with so many novel elements has naturally incited intense in- , terest throughout the district, and the Police Court was densely crowded. The , prisoner was brought to Boat Harbour in . charge of Police Constable May, who appre- , bended him at Fermonnt. His appearance ~ at that place following so qniokly upon the . discovery of the wreck of the Sovereign of \ the Seas, which had revived the story of _ his terrible crime, ronsed the suspicions of ? the local constable, who, comparing the stranger with the printed description of the murderers issued by the Auckland police, felt satisfied he was Caffrey and forthwith 1 arrested him, When examined at the " police station it was fonnd that although r bearing the marks described ia the police ? notice, there was a scar on the left eyebrow, 11 a star tattcoed on the right forearm, and an ” anchor on the left arm. He had other tattoo , mark* not in the p slice description, notably ” the figure of a woman upon his breast. ? When arrested prisoner denied all know- , ledge of the murder and New Zealand. He ", said his name was Joe Adams, and that he Q was a swagsman in search of work. On his lodgings being searched a swag was fonnd 1 containing amoMg other articles a revolver t and a black flag. The police authorities at v Sydney were immediately communicated with, and they forwarded a photo of Caffrey ~ which they had in their possession and * which was an unmistakable likeness of the * prisoner. When confronted with this evi- " dence he acknowledged his identity, and i 4 made a fall confession of bis guilt to Con* I * stable May. After narrating the portion- 1 * Lira of the murder, he continued ;—“We ] 1 cleared out of New Zealand in the cutter | * Sovereign of the Seas, and made for the j * coast of America ; we encountered some | ” severe gales and had to lay to four days. a Finding it impossible to reach America, we 11 made for Australia, and after being three months at sea we sighted land near Brie- * bane. We then made down the coast for . Sydney, hut finding it too hot there (mean- ' ing to say too many ships about) we made J a tack for Queensland, The vessel was I f leaking and was in a sinking state, and we 1 8 had to make for shore the best way wn f could. I succeeded in landing some things * in a dingey which wo had with us, and then T went hack to the vessel for Ponn and the j 1 woman. When landing the dingey cap- | e sized and threw ns all in tho saif. I was ' washed ashore, but Penn and the woman ■ ’ were drowned. It being dark at the time, i * I never caught site of them after. I re- ; mained where I landed till the second day, j 1 but could not find any trace of them. It ia • E now between three and four weeks ago * since it happened. The place was the first ” point north of Port Macquarie. The fe* * male was Penn’s paramour, and lior name , was Lizzie Graham. She was 20 years of ■ age, and was brought on board against her . will, and on the voyage she fretted very 1 much. We encountered a great many gales, and at one time would not have given much ' for our chance. We sighted several vessels, but a 1 ways kept out of their way, and never ’ spoke a vessel the whole time we were at sea. We had plenty of provisions, bnt ran short of wa*er, but were successful in catching some from rain that fell. The vessel 1 belongs to Henderson and Spraggon, of Auckland, and 1 was master of her. The I woman has relations in New Zealand ; so has Penn, who is a married man. lam a single man, and a native of New Zealand.” At the Police Court Caffrey acknowledged hi* guilt and the correctness of the state* ment which he has made to Constable May. and which was read in court. Prisoner was then remaa-'ed pending the arrival of a police officer from New Zealand with the necessary extradition papers. Sydney, October 11. Caffrey arrived from Fcrnmount to day heavily ironed. A large crowd of spectators assembled to meet tho steamer. Prisoner wan brought before the magistrate on a charge of murdering a settler named Taylor at Great Barrier Island, and remanded for a week. A man and woman, supposed to bo Ponn (Caffrey’s accomplice) and Lizzie Graham, have been arrested at Kempsey Town, on the Macleav river, 2SO mbes north-east of Sydney. Prisoners were brought np at the local Police Court and were remanded until to. morrow. ! Wellington, October 11. , The Government have wired to the authoJ rities of New South Wales to take every | precaution, even if he has to be put in irons | that Caffrey does not commit suicide on his way here. Auckland, October 11. Detective Tnohy and Constable M‘Kay leave for Sydney to bring back Caffrey, Penn, and Lizzie Graham, Tnohy was at the inquest on Taylor, and M‘Kay is thoroughly acquainted, as a member of the water police, with Caffrey. The girl is to be brought to Auckland charged as being an accessory after the fact. Sydney, October 12. The man arrested at Kempsey has admitted that he is Penn, and confessed his i complicity in the Great Barrier Island murder. Penn and Lizzie Graham were again i brought np at tho Police Court at Kempsey i to-day. Both prisoners were remanded to : Sydney, Auckland. October 12. s Superintendent Thomson has added Con- ■ stable M‘Carrow to the party who left for j Sydney by the Waihera for Caffrey and his . associates. Every precaution is to bo taken i to prevent oemrnnnicatlon between tho 3 prisoners and secure their safe custody, Wellington, October 12. p It is understood that, although the extras ditto* of the woman Iczzie Graham, pr.ra- ‘ monr of Penn, his been applied for by the • j police authorities in New Zealand, it is not i ■ intended to charge her with any offence, bnt * i she may be required to give evidence against 1 i the mnr ’ereT. Caffrey and Penn will be t sent to Auckland by one of the Union Com- » panv’s steamers and every precaution is to i be taken to prevent either committing I suicide.