A CANTERBURY SENSATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1481, 15 June 1905, Page 3

A CANTERBURY SENSATION.

mysterious death, Christchurch June 11. The myßtory surrounding the supposed suicide of a man named Thomas Chambers, at Orari, a little over a week ago, is exciting considerable interest in South Canterbury- The body was found in a paddock, close to a plantation, and near the main road between Orari. The deceased was lying on his back with his head towards the plantation, and a bad cut across his throat. In the same paddock was found a cap, and in the plantation was afterwards picked up a pair of drawers, a towel, a table knife, and a new billy. What puzzled the police and others at the timo was the fact that there was practically no blood on the body and clothes, or on the ground where it lay, and, moreover, there was no knife or other sharp instrument at hand to indicate how the deod had been carried out. ' The evidence at the inquest went to provo that probably tbo body had been lying in the rain for a day or two, and the blood had been washed away, and it was further suggested that the deceased might have cut his throat and thrown the knife away afterwards, and that it might still be lying somewhere in the tussocks. Strange to say, there was no medical ..evidence called at the inquest to show the extent of

tbo injuries, and the result is that there is a doubt as to whether the important vessels of the man’s throat were actually cut or not, the body having been interred at Geraldine the samo night, by torchlight. Naturally, public opinion ba9 been aroused since the inquest, and ramors havo been current that the man was murdered, and did not commit 3uicide, as was supposed, . A constable went to Orari on Monday last, and after two hours’ search made an important find, which clearly showed that the deceased had either been murdered, or had cut his throat a considerable distance

from where his body was found. A quarter of a mile awsy the constable came on a large pool of blood, a razor smeared with blood, a pair of drawers, a flannel, a rug, a sack, and two butcher’s knives, rolled up in a copy of the English Field. There were also signs of someone having rolled in tbo tussocks near tbo pod of blood.

If tho case is ono of suioido tho man had to walk a-quurtor of a mile and olimb a post-and-rail fonoo aftor ho had out his throat and bled. On. Thursday morning an ura,i resident, iwiho' conducted an mdopoudenii investigation about, the locality, whero tho body, and ewug wero found and who made drawings of stusmo.ous footprints discovered at a . as>ot between the cap, and the bI'UY « Piece or fiat iron similar to, what a stonemason uses to seropo so t stone, .wrapped mi) in another .niece ° It is now, said that a strarekecuor in tlie district remembers selling a new billy ton stcau|go swagger,, Who was massing through on tho day that Chambers went in the same direction. Tho fact that a new hilly, was found .in i3io plaintition,: mid wliafc appeared rbo be two separate cam-os were discovered a-qiiarter of a mile from each other, has led some to believe that 'Chambers was not alono in the paddock.;