PONSONBY MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1920, Page 3

PONSONBY MURDER

J DISCOVERIES BY POLICE. I [per press association.----copyright.} AUCKLAND, This Day. ; As the result of investigatons in connection wth the murder and robbery, the police found in a gully in the , vicinity of Howes Street, among a dense ! growth of blackberries, three large calibre revolvers, a large quantity of ammunition, a. burglars jemmy, about £25 in money, and other articles including Braithwaite’s private keys of his office and of the strong-room at Ponsonby Post Office; also the key of the front door of his residence, a cancelled postal note, known to be part of the proceeds of the robbery and a £25 note. Only one £5 note was stolen from the post office. Tlie articles were contained in three canvass bags, two of them such as ■ are commonly used by banks for'holding coin. The third bag is believed to be portion of the criminals outfit, known

as a sandbag. Detectives have also in their possession a. hand-bag that belonged to Braithwaite, which is supposed to have been taken by the murderer, when leaving the victim’s residence. The bag was apparently found to contain nothing of value and was thrown over a fence in the vicinity of Braithwaite’s house. As a result of exhaustive investigations it is now believed that Braithwaite was first attacked when standing in the kitchen facing the mantle-piece, j with his back to the door off the resi- j

dence which was almost invariably kept . open when either Air or Mrs Braith- | waito were at home. On the evening ! of the crime, Braithwaite evidently had j 1 been in the house a few minutes before , < he was disturbed, as he had deposited .' his hat and bag in the places they were ] usually kept, and he had wound up the t dock on the kitchen mantlepiece. It 1 is surmised he had finished with the ] dock, when a shot was fired at lfis back. 1 It. missed him and struck the mantlepiece. It is believed be turned 'Hind faced the back door and received two shots that killed him. The theory that the first shot misled the victim, is supported by the statement of a person in an adjoining house, who says a cry was heard after the first shot was fired. The presence of a- key of Braithwaite’s _ residence among the articles recovered j by the detectives on Saturday, is accounted for by the fact that Braithwaite always carried the key of. the ( front door. This evidently was taken from his pocket together with the post office keys .