IS IT MURDER?

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1920, Page 3

IS IT MURDER?

STRANGE HAPPENINGS: ACCUSED

AS STOWAWAY

In connection with the discovery in 1 Auckland harbour of an Australian j trooper named Markwick Sim (detailed |in press telegrams recently), further that a £IOO note was missing gave the police a clue. The interment of the body was stopped; a postmortem held; when it was ascertained that the marks on the body and other indications were not inconsistent with the theory that there had been foul play. STORY AT INQUEST. At the inquest proceedings, conducted at the morgue, by Mr J. E. Wilson, S.M., Oscar Paul Fail-burn, aged 32 (charged with the theft of the £IOO

note), a flellow passenger of the deceased, wan the first witness, called. He stated that he was a wooi-presser, at present residing at the People’s 1 Palace. He was a passenger by the ! Ulimnron on March Stli, and Sim came over with him. He had not known the deceased, prior to that. They stayed ’ together at the People’s Palace from March Bth to lltli, Sim leaving on the

latter date. He had seen the body at the morgue, but it was too far decomposed for him to identify it. He could detect a faint resemblance to the man Sim. He had seen the clothes taken from the body, and they, were similar to those worn by Sim. The Watch, pouch, and Australian returned soldier’s badge (produced) he had seen in the possession of the deceased. Sim drank a good deal of liquor on the ship. He told witness that he had a ’ brother on a farm somewhere about Brisbane, and that he was a single man. “I do not know what money he had,” continued the witness, and he added that deceased seemed to him not to he well-balanced mentally. Sim wanted witness to go out in a. car with him on the 11th, when he was leaving the People’s Palace, but he refused. DECEASED’S PECULIAR. CONDUCT The next witness, .Joseph Benjamin Hildreth, manager of the People’s Palace, deposed that on the Bth Sim book- (

od at the Palace. He was very eccentric, and owing to his behaviour, witness told him on the lltli to get other lodgings. Witness had also seen the body, and had been unable to identify it owing to decomposition. Witness «nve evidence as to the similarity of the clothing and the build of the body, and identified badges. On the morning of the Bth. when Sim hooked the room, lie tendered a Commonwealth

bank-note for £IOO, hut witness could not change it, and the man said he would wait. Next day and again on the lltli he tendered the note and witness advised him to go to the Bank of New Zealand to change it. He refused to do so. Subsequently the deceased was in the Palace acting in a. very strange manner, and ordering people about. Witness persuaded him to go out, but hie returned twenty minutes later with, a taxi. He then tendered witness an old Bank of New South Wales £1 note in payment of his board, but did not say whether or not lie changed the £IOO note. Later in the evening lie returned and demanded lodgings, but was refused. EARLY CALL IN TAXI.

On the morning of the 12th, about J 3 o’clock, he again came hack and renewed his request, but witness again declined to give -him lodgings. Describing the taxi, witness said it was a light-coloured one, driven by a youug man. When Sim paid his hill witness saw only the £1 note. Deceased had a light-coloured soldiers’ kit-hag and a suit-case which appeared new. The pouch produced was like the one in which he had the £IOO note. . Mr Wilson then adjourned the inquest-. STOWAWAY WITH £750. After the inquest proceedings there was a curious development. At the Police Court sitting the previous day it transpired that a stowaway found on the Malum, was in possession of a bank draft for £750, and when the police went to the bank to make inquiries regarding Sim’s £IOO note, it was discovered that a £IOO note of the same I hank issue had been paid by the hank i five minutes previously as part hank exI change for the stowaway’s draft, which be bad cashed to pay bis fine. The recovery of the note was a simple matter under the circumstances, and fur- : ther inquiries made by Sergeant Scott , led to the arrest of Fairburn. Thereupon the coroner ordered tbe stoppage I of the inquest, and tho holding of a post-mortem examination, with the result already stated. Fairburn is a clean-shaved young man, of medium build. Chief Dide.j tivo McMahon says the case is a peeu--1 liar, if not mysterious one, and will rcj t ,uire considerable investigation. The I detectives and police are busily engag- * ed prosecuting inquiries.

A CORRECTION. AUCKLAND, This Day. In connection with the Sydney cable in reference to Sims’ death and the statement that the police searched the Maheno at Sydney and were unable to trace the person wanted, it transpires the latter has no connection with the Sims’ case, hut another.