NATIONAL PARK TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1931, Page 1

NATIONAL PARK TRAGEDY

SOME DISCOVERIES. B\ Telegraph —Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 0. The ,shooting of Mrs Alice Anderson in a lonely shed four miles from National Park continues to provide the district with food for speculation. Although an inquest was opened at laumarunui and Charles Colston is still under retention, certain .aspects of the tragedy elude the police. Two additional discoveries have been made by the police. The missum shotgun, which could not be (ound when the first inspection of the shack was made, lias been located by Mrs Colston, wdio pointed out to the police its biding place behind a tool shed about twenty paces from the shack. She states that she placed it there after the shooting to prevent its further use. The other feature is the discover'of two spent cartridges in the grass r few feet away from the house. Tliev had obvousiy been fired. The scene of the trauedv is a loneL shack built of eorrimnted iron, situated in heavily wooded country four miles west of the National Park ini' way station. The building, dilapidated by disuse, stands in a clearing dotted with the burned remnants of trestumps typical of the wide stretches of countrv in this neighbourhood. The holding was farmed at one time but lias since been abandoned. I’ carries no' stock, and the farm lions”, ns it once was. presents an appearance of utter desolation and poverty. To this dismal and secluded corner of the country the Colstons came three weeks afro. Tliev had no friends in National Park, and very little is known about them, but the business peonle from whom tliev obtained sires remember that tbev stayed several weeks in the same locality nine months ago. Then they went, to AVamranui. where Colston had a firewood business for some time. Tt was their intention on their return three weeks a"o to take up another bush property and make a living by farming.