Supposed Murder in Canterbury

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 46, 6 October 1887, Page 2

Supposed Murder in Canterbury

f PEB WTITBI) fBRSS ASSOCI ATIOH. J ' CHEisTCTtuacH, October 4.

About 10 o'clock last night a murder was committed at Little River on the verandah of the Lake Arms Hotel. Three Russians (Finns) werking at Coop's sawmill, went to the hotel abont 9. o'clock," then came... in and stood there while a song waa being sung, and then all three men, went into the dining-room, where they had refreshments by. themselves. Two. of the men had. words. The men* names names were Matte Johansen, Nils Jacobson, and Andrew Heymany After a time, however, the quarrel seemed to cease, .George Robertson, a half-caste, '" having gone in te pacify them. They went Out together at ten minutes to 10 by the front, door on to the verandah. A short time after- . ward a man named Leon, onygmng; 6iit, saw a man lying oh the verandah*- 7 as he thought, dead drunk/ and ■ the ; big Finn Jacobson standing a shoft distance off ready for going away/ ; Leon spoke to him/ saying it was not right to leave his mhte there drunkThe Finn replied in his own tongne,v as Leon understood him to mean/ tothe effect that his' mate was all right where he was. Leon then wentjin-^y .side,; but- shortly after came out again with a man named Ray and a lad < named Hitchens. Hitchens lit a match and looked at the supposed" drunken man, and holding it to his face} ;■ noticed it was ghastly white.; Then they noticed > blood -» ~> on his clothes, and looking further they found the clothes . were Yam J.. .places, saturated with blood from ■•; 7 dreadful stabs, .one df which appeared • tei be right in the heart, and the other > in the entrails,-below the navel. They - gave the alarm, And it was ascertained/ ; tliat the man was dead. George Rob-ertson/ffeddled^iis-horse, and started in pursuit of : the bigFJun^ and overtook him some 400yds-from the hotel. He went up r tO/him with a bottle, saving, "Mate, have a drink," and threw the man quickly, being afraid of hia knife, and hound him with a straps The others coming up, the Finn waa taken to tiie lockup. Robertson went after the. other Finn, whom he found between Joblin's .. store , and Coop's _; ; null. This m^ ,onmV..b^k 1 qmeuy also, and they were both^ locked np. Nothing was, found on then* out somfr matches and tobacco/ There was a little knife quite incapable of giving; the stabs found on the smaller many and there was a slight wound on the right hand of the bigger man, but this might have been caused by his falling Oh the ground: The police at Akaroa were , acquainted with tha news, who sent Constable Crockatt off to the River. " „ .