PICTON MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1931, Page 5

PICTON MURDER

MAN’S THROAT CUT. MONEY OBJECT OF CRIME. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association ) BLENHEIM, Nov. 6. Investigations into the death of an old man nam.d Mr James Flood, who was found dead in his twJ-ropmed house in Canterbury Street, Picton, have led to the belief that he was brutally murdered, the object of : the crime beirjg a large sunt of money, which now’ seems to be missing. -ill’ Flood, who was a bachelor, and 16 veai’s of age, lived alone. He was last seen alive at 8.30 o’clock on Tues day night last. Not having seen the old man about after that, his neighbours communicatid with the police, who made an entry to his house l>v a window, and they found his body lying on the floor of the living room, with the throat cut. All the evidence, at this stage, pointed to suicide, hut investigations since are believed to hav_ put a d.fferellt complexion on the matter. In the first place, it has been discovered that the back of deceased’s skull had been smashed in, and that the wounds iu the throat wefe so savagely made that actual Lories tverfe severed.

In addition, the police fottnd the che door cf tlie: place to he locked, and the key to be missing. Subsequently the police recovered the key from the Picton Croquet Club’s lawns, where n member found it' on Wednesday afternoon.' The key had evidently been flung on to the lawn from the road. The Croquet Club’s premises are over a quarter of a mile from Flood’s house.

The old man had three nephews resi[ent in Picton, and one of them stited hat he had lielprd his uncle to fill in

his unemployment return a week ago. In this paper Flood showed his year’s income at over £l6O. The deceased was known to possess ample means, deriving an income from a farm property at Port Underwood, but he had no hank account, and ho is stated to have kept his money about him. 1 . .■■ : .... j!.. ; All that was recovered from Lis pockets was a little silver. / \ " . Detective F. Sinclair is jn charge of

the inquiries, being assisted by Constables Condon, and Roberts,, of .Picton. It is understood that they are being reinforced from Wellington;

From the ashes of the fireplace alongside which the body-wns found, a small pocket-knife, with one blade open, was recovered, hut it seems incredible that deceased’s injuries could have been inflicted with sfe small an instrument. A small hole was cut in. the door of the house to permit the cat to enter and leav'feAVf. ftb 'will. * On the verandah outside there is a trail of bloodstains, but these possibly were caused by the cat. An inquest was opened by the Coroner, Mr E, J. Hill, this afternoon, and it was adjourned sine die, after evidence of identification had been

heard. . ■ A post-mortem on the body will be conducted to-morrow.