KALGOORLIE HORROR

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1926, Page 4

KALGOORLIE HORROR

POLICE CLUE TO GUILTY ONES KALGOOR LIE, May 10.

The police have information concerning the murderers of DetectiveInspector Walsh and Detective-Ser-geant Pitman. What this information is they will not say, but it. is understood to have been given as a result of H'c Government oiler ol L" 1000 reward.

All the detectives will say is that prospects of sheeting home the crime are brighter to-day than they have been at any other stage of the inquiry.

The efforts of Detective-Sergeant O’Brien and his black trackers fo follow the tracks of a cart from the abandoned shaft, in which the bodies of the murdered men were loiind on Wednesday, have failed. The city is almost sleepless in its anxiety. Rumour succeeds rumour, it was even reported that, one ot the murderers had confessed. This cannot be confirmed. The tension was accentuated by the discovery of the body of William August Koctsvcld, a former gold-stealing detective. Koetsveld’s throat had been cut. hut there is nothing to indicate that he had not committed suicide. His mind had been unhinged by the murder ol his fnniKT coniratios.

Walsh and Pitman, who had neon missing 12 days before their bodies were found, were taken to Perth lor burial. Their widows have lived there for some time, because, it is said, t he.\ were intimidated in Ivdgoorlie owing to their husbands' work. The track followers have traversed miles of country without result. They returned to Kalgnnrlie. tired ami

weavv. The cart tracks, they said, tome a figure eight course and reluiucd to the bandoned shaft, whence they began. and disappeared. The detectives and trackers scoured the countryside in ever-widening circles in tlio hope of “cutting” the mnrdere’s trail, but without success. They will persevere, however. 'Me will search and search, until we win.” said one of the officers. Detective-Sergeant. O’Brien, who is hauling the tracker*, once followed Hie I hree-month’-old trad of a murderer for M days before he eaughi his

due of the most interesting person* j,i ii.,-, hunt i- Trooncr Goldies black tracker. Billie Gee. Ho is an extraordinary smart and inlclliccnt nknrijjim*. and speaks K polish. A!*honeli a

o-ind tracker. Billy i* not altogether at home in the country around Kalgooilie. He conies from the Kimberley district in the far north-west, and would he more at home reading the signs of the great spinitex deserts offer than those of the gravelloy ridges of P Knlgoorlie district. Billy says: I rateh plenty horse thief and robber limn." The Government Pathologist (Mr MeGilvrayl and Dr S. Mathews. Resident Medical Officer of Knlgoorlie. made the post-mortem examination of the bodies. Among the inniiv odds and ends recovered from the abandoned shall i which bodies were found were three short bars of iron. Some ol the pul ice believe tat Walsh and Pitman were knocked on tin 1 head. Ihe bars are being examined. l’ieies of burnt hone found anion 1 ' Ihe refuse in the shaft are said to he fragments of skull. Several human teeih recovered in the silting confirm this view.