A Temuka Mystery

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 9, 21 July 1891, Page 2

A Temuka Mystery

(pKR VNITED PRESS Af»«r,CI ATION ) Timaru, July 20^ For some days past rumours have been rife that representations had been made to the Colonial Secretary, upon which he lad directed that the body of John Hayhurst, who died at Temuka in April, 1889, and was buried in Temuka Cemetery, should be exhumed and an inquest held. Dr Ogston, of Dunedin, and Dr Guthrie, of Christchurch, will conduct the post mortem, and an analysis of the stomach and other parts the body will be made by Professor Black, of Otago University. Mr John Hay hurst was one of the early settlers in South Canterbury, and was possessed of large property, which was taken possession of under a will by bis only son. The enquiry to-morrow will be preliminary, as it is reported that after the jury have viewed the remains evidence will be led as to identification, and the enquiry adjourned for fourteen days to await the results of the medical examination. The Lyttelton Times says : — John Hayhurst was a Manchester man, and was born in 1828, his father being a farmer. When abont 16 years of age, his energetic nature led him to seek his fortune in Australia. To Canterbury he afterwards came, and took a contract to cut timber from the bush, and make wheelbarrows for the contractors for the Sumner road. After many successful ventures he settled down at Temuka, added to his possessions there and formed the well-known Greeahayes Estate, which has an annual rent-roll of some LSOOO. For several years Mr Hayhurst worked hard on his property at Greenhayes. He then, with his wife and son, paid a short yisit to England. His return was in 1888. He applied himself with his usual energy to managing the affairs on his large property. He was taken seriously ill on Monday, April 1 ; next day it was announced that he was very bad ; on the Thursday it was reported that he was slightly better; but on the Friday lie died, at the age of 61 years. He was attended by Dr J. S. Haynes, who gave a certificate stating the cause of death to have been ursemlia, the duration of his last illness five days, that he had been last seen by his medical attendant on April sth, the day on which he died. The certificate giyes the further information that the deceased was married at Manchester at the age of thirtytwo years, to Jane Startup, and that his surviving issue was one son, twenty-eight years of age. Last year the new owner of the estate was unpleasantly surprised by the arrival from England of a lsdy who claimed to be th 9 legal wife o.f the late Mr Hayhurst, and asserted that he was the father of two children, some eight or nine years old, who, she said, had been born after the marriage. She claimed the property of the deceased, and made certain representations, which led ultimately to the issue of an order by the Colonial Secretary for the exhumation of the body.