THE RUNANGA TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1917, Page 1

THE RUNANGA TRAGEDY

accused in court

HIS DESCRIPTION

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.] CHRISTCHURCH November 10

Rogers or MacMahon, who is charged with the Runanga murder, stood upright and quietly in this dock this morning and betrayed no nervousness. He is a man- of about sft. bin., or sft.*lo in. in height of upright carriage and strongly built. His face is fairly long and lean and narrows towards a firm jaw. His nose is a'cquilino, and his dark eyes arc set well back I under strong defined eyebrows. Ho is clean shaven, ami has the blue black tinge of a man of strong facial hair growth. His mouth is straight and the lips are kept close together. His dark hair is brushed well hack from his forehead. Altogether lie L a “hard” looking man, of determined appearance. He appears to he of from 30f to 35 years <>f age. This morning 110 was dressed in a grey suit with a shirt of a different shade of grey, and blue-grey how tie. He wore a felt hat.

The keen interest of the crowd in the Court room did not seeiu to disturb the accused at all. Now and again his gaze shifted slowly from Magistrate t-o Police, or to the ■ reporters; but otherwise ho looked frontwards with a grim composure .

He said nothing in reply to the charges. It now transpires that Eggers atrived at the Empire Hotel on Tuesday evening. He called to see Mis£ McMahon and left his bag for a short time in the office of the hotel, prior to going away with the woman. ISIIO had led them to believe that she was married to the man. Egger s had been in Christchurch some six or eight weeks previously and appeared ’to have made the Empire Hotel his headquarters. When the police in their search for Miss McMahon spoke to Mr. O’Brien the licensee of the hotel lie recognised their description of the man they wore seeking and rendered them what assistance he could.

NEARLY ALL MONEY RECOVERED

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 16.

Of the amount in possession of Mr. Hall, paymaster of the mine, £3536 5s Id lias been recovered, leaving £43 11s 7d unaccounted for.

A reporter had the opportunity to-day of viewing the booty, and it filled the bottom of a fair-sized portmanteau, the notes being done up in parcels according to their denominations, while the coin was. in hags with the amount- contained on a tag. Lying on the surface was an automatic revolver. The bag was found to he of uncomfortable weight, too heavy to he carried by any hut a fairly strong person.

THE ACCUSED AN AMERICAN

MTS REAL NAME EGGERS. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 16

With regard to the arrest of the suspect in connection with the WestCoast murder and robbery, it .is understood that the name of McMahon belongs to the woman, and has been assumed by the ma'll. The woman is a barmaid at the Empire Hotel, where she has been employed under the name of Lizath McMahon since shortly before carnival week. She lias been previously employed at several other hotels in Christchurch.

Supt. Dwyer stated this afternoon that as the result of further police enquiries it has boon established that accused’s mime is not McMahon, but Frederick William Eggers. He is an American bv birth,- having been born in New York. He has been associated with -Miss McMahon for the past four years.

The police paid a tribute to the help rendered them in the apprehension of accused by the licensee of the Empire Hotel (Mr. Morgan O'Brien), ffis suspicions had been aroused m connection with accused, and he helped effectively in the search. Although Eggers described himself as a speculator, 110 appears to have been employed as a: commercial traveller selling “butter churns, etc.” although it had not | transpired with which firm, he was en--1 gaged. The licensee of the Empire Hotel expressed the opinion “that there was not a better dressed man in Clirist--1 church than the accused,” adding “he ' was at sensible spoken follow too.

EGGERS KNOWN IN TIMARU. TLM.ARU, Nov. 16th

Eggers was known to the police here in 1915 a s Eggers. It is supposed he made a living by selling floor polishes and blacking. He left Timaru wth a barmaid who said she was lys wife. /