TRUCK MURDER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 72, 17 December 1937, Page 14

TRUCK MURDER

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Arrests Follow Intensive Police Search EVIDENCE NOT REVEALED

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MELBOURNE, Dec. 2. Over three weeks after the discovery of the body of John Thomas Demsey, bundled in a sack and crudely buried in the bush at Kingslake West, 45 miles from Melbourne, the police arrested two men who, they allege, were codcerned in the murdei/.* of Demsey. Demsey disappeared while driving a transport, laden with wool, from Bendigo to Melbourne on tho evening of October 11. An intensive search iD which hundreds of detectives, police and friends took part failed to solve the mystery until the chance discovery of Demsey 's vehicle was made by two picnickers at Kingslake West on November 2. On the following day the body was found, buried within a short distance of the truck. No trace of the wool was found. As the days passed the police seemed to be making no advance in the solving of the crime, and it was recoguised that the absence of clues made their task a baffling one. But, just when it seemed that the murder would pass into tho category of unsolved mysteries, the arrests were announced. ATlested in Bed, The accused are Roy McFarlane, aged 32, baker, of Newmarket, Melbourne,and Matthew Francis O'Eeeffe, aged 37, labourer, of North Melbourne. O'Keeffe was arrested in bed at his home early last Saturday morning. McFarlane was detained some hours earlier at Beaufort, 103 miles fronx Melbourne beyond Ballarat. He was standing beside a motor-truck, the rear tyres of which were punctured. Apparently he was awaiting assistance. In their investigations the police travelled 30,000 miles. Graziers, wool scourers, farmers, transport drivers, wool-storers, felters and persons in many city oceupations were among the 1000 persons interviewed. Six hundred letters, some of them scribbled on brown paper bags, were reeeived at police headquarters, and 2000 telephone ealls from informants placed an unprecedented strain on the staff. Crystal gazers and clairvoyants confidently offered their services, some of them wanting only some articlo wh^ch Demsey had touched to enable them to solve the mystery. The nature of the evidence which will be presented against McFarlane and O'Keeffe has not been revealed yet. The accused appeared in the City Court on Monday and were remanded for n week. Appearance in Court. In the dock the two accused listened impassiveiy to the reading of the charges against tkem. Mr. Goldberg, counsel for O'Keeffe, said that he desir- I ed to hear some evidence, as his client had told him he knew nothing about tho case, except what he had read in the newspapers. . a detective 'then gave a short history of the case, but Mr. Goldberg pro* tested that nothing had been said to connect the two accused with the crime. The Magistrate, Mr. MeLean: On a serious charge, such as this, it may be that the police do not want to state the full nature of the evidence. Mr. Goldberg: Only certain bald facts have been stated. The men are labouring under severe mental stress while these charges are against them. Surely we are entitled to know what evidence will be alleged against them and what witnesses will be callcd. Mf. McLean: Certainly you are not entitled to know what witnesses will be called. Mr. Hacks, for McFarlane, said that the newspapers and broadcasting stations had given the impression that McFarlane was in hiding in the country with his truck, The police had nothing to connect McFarlane with the crime. Mr. McLean remanded the men in custody until December 7. A cablegram from Melbourne on December 6 stated that William Grahame, an Englishman who came to Australia recently, was charged in the City watch-house that on or about October 11, between Kyneton and Kinglake West, he murdered Demsey. When O'Keeffe and McFarlane appeared on remand next day they were furthor remanded until December 14. Detective McKeogh told the. Court that the police did not allege that the two accused killed Demsey, but would allege that both were present when the murder was committed.