THE RUNANGA MURDER.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1918, Page 1

THE RUNANGA MURDER.

EGG KBS’ PAST

It may be remembered that when Eggers, tlio West Coast murderer, stood

at tlto steps of the scaffold to expiate liis crime, lie assured tlio officiating clergyman that lie was not the man who had fatally shot Coulthard, the driver of the car which was carrying the two mine officials with the men’s wages. The denial on the edge of eternity may have raised a doubt in the minds of some people, whether the police had really tracked down the murderer.

It is asserted, however, that tlio polite authorities have in their possession a letter written by Eggers in which he virtually confessed his crime. This letter was to have been delivered by

a friend to the woman with whom Eggers had been living but it did not reach its intended destination. It is also stated that Eggers, when he was in the poll, made repeated efforts to obtain the delivery to him of a small portion of strychnine secreted by him in a small box containing rare coins, which box had passed into the hands of the police, and that lie even communicated with the Justice Department, protesting against the treatment lie was receiving. The police officials, however, quietly but surely frustrated bis efforts in this direction.

The police are. believed to have a suspicion that this was not the first time, Eggers had done a man to death. Some years back a man who was known to ha ve some £3OOO in his possession was faall.v shot in Sydney, but tlio murderer was never apprehended, nor the money recovered. iA certain suspicion attaches to Eggers in connection with this murder. He was in Sydney at

that time, and shortly afterwards arrived in the Dominion. So far as th ( > police were able to ascertain, lie had done no work for two or three years prior to the West Coast murders. If he bad lived during this time on the proceeds of a previous crime the exhaustion of^funds may have compelled him to the perpetration of the murder of which lie was convicted.

The threads of Eggers’ career have now been gathered together. He was charged under his correct name, and he was born in gout-h Australia of German parents/ Ho had appeared in court twice before —on the second occasion on a charge of forgery, of which he was found guilty and for which lie received a sentence of two years’ imprisonment..

THE £SOO BEWAIID. The. allocation of the reward of £'.500 offered by the Crown for evidence that would lead to the conviction of the murderer of the lad Coultliard and of IV. Hall, the second victim in the West Coast shooting case lias not yet been finally determined by tlio Justice Department It is supposed that some nine persons will participate in the distribution. The official opinion is said to be that if -Ur. if. O’Brien, the licensee of the Empire Hotel, in Christchurch, had not I had a doubt cast, on his suspicions when ho first met Eggers in his hotel, he would have secured the full reward. When Eggers went to the hotel lie deposited a portmanteau in the office. The licensee having occasion to go to his safe, lifted the portmanteau out of the way. The weight of it, and the fact that the man had just arrived from th 0 West Coast caused a suspicion to flash through Mr O’Brien’s mind. His suspicions wore not shared by those to whom he confidentially mentioned them, and he did not communicate with the police that evening. Subsequently it was Mr O’Brien who very materially clinched the suspicions, which at the time of the arrest were suspicions only that had been formed regarding Eggers.