MOUAT MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1924, Page 3

MOUAT MURDER

CONTRA 1)1 CTO I! V ST'OR IKS. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. MELBOURNE, Scot. ‘JI. At the inquest on the hoy Archie Alolint, whose murder was cabled on August Jli, and in connection wherewith the dead hoy’s brother, Ivan, was arrested on a charge of murder, Miss Kerr, the boy’s aunt, told a reninr!-:-iiblt! story. .She said tiled. Archie’s hotly hat! been found in water reaching just over her iboots. She had visited the hoy Ivan at the Detention Home, lie told her that, on tl'.o day of the tragedy lie and Archie went for a walk. They not into conversation with two men with a motor ear. Archie then went to ha tile. One of the men said to .Ivan; ‘hSmell ilho u.-ent, l have invented.” The man placed tv handkerchief over his face. When he became conscious nonin, lie felt water cn his litre. The man told him to go Lome which he did. He did not see Archie again. The witness added that Ivan boro a good character, and was truthful. She never knew the .brothers to quarrel.

The bey's unit her also gave -videme. Slit! staled that when Ivan eane- home he said he had left Archie ai a < :<-fb. He said nothing about a M ranker ashii',<4 him to smell scent. lie Imre no sinus of suffering from the off eels of chloroform. He uppeared finite ncrnnil. The Government Pathologist .'give evidmiee that the dead Iny Arehie’s lioso and bronehial tabes were crammed with gritty mnd. and the lower part of his hotly was tihofki njrly. mutilated. There was no indication that he had been struck with a stick. Tn witness’s opinion, death was caused by suffocation by the boy being held down in water. The mutilation probably was caused idler death. The police stated that Tvan bad made two contradictory statements to them, (as cabled on August 2Gth. and 27th.). Mrs Mount nave evidence tluit Tvan attended ehureh and Sunday school on the day alter the tragedy. Asked regarding his statement of August 27th.. tf) the 1 oliic, she said she did pat believe he did it, or had anything; to ilo with it.