THE MOUAT MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1924, Page 3

THE MOUAT MURDER

A NEW Til EDDY. tI’HTRAMAN AND N Z. CAIII.E ASSOf’i AT’O.N MELDDEDNE. Augii-t !■;. A new theory is that the bo,\ .Vena! was accidentally drowned and . h_. mat ilntinn was possibly caused n- ,:j.; bod siriikug a broken bottle or other slmr] substance. ,\ hoy, a Iriend of Mountstates he had arranged to aceompe: • him to a creek lor a swim, i.ukuoui to their mothers. This imv was pir vented from going, lie vas urn.warwhether .Mount went.

A factor In support lb- i', t rif j- ■ theory i- that .Mount's doilies wen found neatly folded near th. ei -l;. The (lovernnient I’ntlmlii"' •I. how ever. 1-- certain the mutihi.iiu as, dm to human agency, and was do. • o ■ liherntcly alter death, with a -qniq in-1 rumen t. BROTH ED IVAN ( <IN EH-t.-EK. (Received this day at ? n.m.) I here was a slarlliug development it: the Mount ease to night when Ivan -Mount, aged fourteen, cnnles-cd to the police that he murdered bis brother. Archie. lie slated that when the,\ reached tile creel; where the body walound Archie suggested a swim, hut Ivan said it- was too cold. Archie stripped to enter the water and Ivan -tool! on the bank. When Archie swam near. Ivan .struck bint on the head with a stick. lie sank. When lie rose Ivan struck again. This time Archie did not rise, lie then dragged ihe body from the water and mutilated it with a table knife which he was carrying to cut the gum tips, lie threw the body hack into the water. Ivan told the police that he had no quarrel witTi hi- brother. Then was no provocation. Tin* only excuse he gave was that the night before. while at the pictures, the boy stock a pin into him. lie suffered such agony from the wound that lie was not responsible lor Inactions. Ivan was arrested on a charge of murder.