MURDER OF CONSTABLE LONG.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 813, 30 January 1903, Page 2

MURDER OF CONSTABLE LONG.

THE STORY OF THE CRIME. Early on January 19 the quiet little village of Auburn, Now South Walos, was startled by hearing that Polioo-Constable Long, one of the most trustworthy officers in the Parramatta district police force, had boen shot while in tho execution of his duty. It is supposed that the constable, during his rounds early in the morning, noticed something amiss at tho Royal Hotel, and on going to make closer inquiry he was shot down almost as soon as he entered tho bar-room. From appearances he had triod the front door, and finding it yield, went in and struck a match, having in his other hand a small revolver. Thero is a screen in the barroom, aud behind that it is supposod tho burglar had secreted himself as tho constable came in. Thon, as the officer peorod round at the side it is believed the burglar came out at the other, and deliberately shot the constable bohind tho oar. Then tho burglar or burglars quickly docauipcd, for the noiso of tho shot awoke tho landlord, Mr Theodore C. Trantwein, who was sleeping not far from tho bar. He was on the spot in perhaps acouplo of minutes after the shooting, and oven heard a man jump over the bar, hue beforo ho could got round to tho front the man had fled, and there was no sign of him. Tho constable was found struggling on the floor of the bar, with a wound in tho back of his head, but bo diod in a few minutes aftorwards, without being able to toll anything of the occurrence.

The polioo wore communicated with almost immediately, and soon a large number woro on tho spot. They found where an ontrance had been effected. Later on they found tracks of a vehicle in which tho burglar or burglars had, it is believed, made tlieir escape. All thieves succeeded in getting from the hotel was a number of packets of cigarettos, and about eighteenpenoe in coppers. Some of the cigarettes woro afterwards found along the roadway about a quarter of a mile from tho scene of the tragedy. Shortly after receiving ;tho news a black traoker was sot to work to follow up the tracks, but beyond the discovery referrod to, nothing further was found, though tho tracks wero followed towards Sydney for souio distance. Evidently the murderer raced away at a great pace, for sevoral residents state that they wero awakoned by tho barking of dogs, and by tho violent clatter of a horso in a vohicle being driven at a racing speed. The ghastly discovery was made by tho licensoo of tho hotel, who lost no timo in taking what ho considered to be the beßt step in ordor that tho murderer might be arrested, but unfortunately the man or men escapod without leaving any traces or tracks by which they might be identified.

THE LICENSEE’S STOEY. Mr T. 0. Trantwoin, tho licensoo of the Koyal Hotel, on being interviewed, said : —“ Usually on Sunday night I retire to bed earlier than on week nights. On Sunday night it was a few minutes after ten o’clock when I went round and lockod up, I then wcDt to bed, and I waß asleep in less than an hour afterwards. Nothing disturbed me till about twonty minutes past two o’clock on Monday morning, when a loud noise woke me up with a start. For the moment I could not think what was the matter. Then I sat up quickly and listened to hoar if I could detoct any sounds. At first I thought the noise was occasioned by something falling off the shelves, but when I thought it over I felt convinced that it was a shot from a revolver. As I sat listening there came another sound, but quite a different one. It seemed as though some heavy body had fallen. There was only a second or two between the two sounds, though it seemed longer. I had been sitting up in bed, but on hearing the second sound I jumped up instantly, and, grasping my revolver, which I kept loaded under my pillow, I ran just as I was, simply with my pyjamas on, towards the bar door. As the place had been tried before by burglars I at once came to tho conclusion that this was another visit from them, and I was determined to meet them. I ran straight from my room to the door which connects the bar with the dwelling-house, and found it as I had left it on the previous night, securely locked. It had not occurred to mo to bring the key. I know something was wrong, and I caught hold of the handle of the door and shook it violently, at the same time singing out, ' Who is there ? ’ Then it sounded to mo as if someone jumped from the bar counter on to the floor. This is evidently what really did occur, for on the bar floor there are plainly visible marks of hobnails, There are also marks on the counter which seem to have been made by a heavy boot with hobnails in it. To have gone back for the key would have meant loss of time, so I ran back to the dwelling-house, and then opened a side door which looks out orf to the garden. A few steps through the garden brought me to the little gate, and then I was in the street, and only a few yards the front bar door, which is on the angle at the corner of two streets. This I found open, and as I looked irvl saw a man on the floor. Ho was groaning and writhing or struggling. To mo it appeared like the action of a drunken man trying to recover his foothold. It was fairly dark inside the bar, so I ran to get a candle. In tbc meantime, Mrs Trantwein, hearing, the noise, had been awakened, and she in turn aroused some other inmates of the house, Mr Mayns, billiard-marker, and Mr Norman, a boarder. Mr Norman brought a lighted candle with him. and then we went back quickly to the bar-room, when we saw chat, the prostrate figure was that- of a policeman. There was a pool of fresh blood just where the head lay. I lost no time in running to the railway station, where I got the signalman to to give the alarm by telephone to the surrounding police stations. I did tins in'order that the police might he ready if they met any suspicious looking individuals walking or drivimr

along the road in either direction. Only two or three minutes elapsed before the signalman had the stations notified that a policeman had been shot dead at Auburn. While these messages were being sent I ran along to inform Constable Eddie, and he at once came back with me to the hotel.The doctor was also rung up. The thief or thieves evidently did not have *7 time to carry out their plans, as the constable, who went to nis death, must have been close on their track.. The safe and the cash register do not seem to have been touched. All that they seem- to have taken is about 50 or 60 packets of cigarettes and a few coppers Constable Long evidently knew what sort of customers he had to meet, for in his' hand he still clutched his revolver, while in the other hand, firmly gripped between finger and thumb, was a match, partly, burnt.” The jury returned a verdict of wilful murder by some person or persons unknown,