SHOCKING MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1931, Page 4

SHOCKING MURDER

AGED CHEMIST.

BATTERED BY ROBBER.

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association) j

AUCKLAND, October 30.

A shocking murder, with robbery as the motive occurred late this

afternoon, when Arthur James Blomfield, a chemist, aged 75 years, was attacked in his shop, in the Pacific

Buildings, in Wellesley Street, during the busiest shopping hour of the week. Biomfield’s skull was ferociously battered with ail iron instrument, believed to be a hammer, thus indicting terrible injuries, from which the vic'tim died at 11 o’clock to-nigtit. After committing the deed, Blomfield’s assailant stole £5 or £6 from the till, and then calmly walked out of the shop, passing, as he did so, a customer, who was waiting to be served.

The principal clue possessed by the police is a description of the murderer, supplied by this customer. The attack occurred at 5 p.m., during the time that Bloinfield’s assistant’s, J. W. Wheeler, of Sentinal oßad (Pansonby), and a boy, were out for tea,

It is surmised that had retired to a small room at the tear of the shop, when the robber entered, ,\

and that hearing him at the till Blotn* fieid tackled him, He was forced to retire again to the room, where the assailant struck him about a dozen times op the head. At the murderer made his way out of the shop, he saw the customer sitting on a chair, and said to him: “Have you been waiting long?” “About five minutes,” replied the customer. “Well,” said the murderer, “the manager will not be long.” He then walked quietly out into the street.

The customer described him as a tall thin man.

Blomfield was found lying with his head in a pool of blood. A pane of glass in the partition was cracked, apparently in the struggle. The till was found on the floor behind the shop counter empty, except for a few pennies.

Blomfield was taken to the hospital, where h© died late to-night. The deceased was the oldest chemist in New Zealand.