The Campbelltown Mystery.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 30 July 1891, Page 3

The Campbelltown Mystery.

JThe inquest held on Monday on M^einains of the unfortunate man fou.^l buried on part of the Oroua Downs Estate, has pointed, if not tc the actual murderer, or the name oJ the victim, at any rate towards the discovery of the crime. The remains were proved to have heen those of a middle aged man (between 85 or 40 years of age the doctor thought) of the height of five feet seVen inch. •., with a girth round the waist,' as shown by the leather strap, of thirty five inches. He had also a close cropped head of light brown hair. He had a good set of teeth, on'y one having been decayed. He apparently was wearing a light coloured saddle tweed waistcoat, with buttons of bone, with a rib on outer edge, and our holes holes for the thread, and a black and white check shirt, fastened at the wrists with pearl or pawa shell buttons, and under the check shirt he wore a white flannel shirt. He was apparently a quiet, tidy, methodical man, as the contents of his pockets displayed a collection of boot protectors such as are worn by drainers to save their boots from the spade, a piece of elastic carefully saved, and a pencil with which to note his doings. Besides which he had a good knife. The reasons which point to foul play are first, the fact that the mah was buried in such, a spot, showing that such an act must have been done by others aware of his death ; secondly that the grave was opened hurriedly and not by a spade, as it was shown that the body laid very shallow nnder the surface, and that only the peat covering to the clay subsoil, had been removed, and that owing to a root 'having crossed a portion ofthe grave, it had not been out through, but the body was allowed to rest even shallower than the feet ; thirdly, that no signs of either trousers, boots or socks were found, though a small piece of shoelace was found as fresh as the day it was put in : fourthly, that the man had been neglected at the time he died and allowed to become stiff before being buried, as it was shown that the left arm w as projecting at right angles to the body. If the man had fallen ill during the absence of his mates, there has been no reason for the past twenty years, why such a death should not have been reported to the police,. and that .he should not have received proper, burial. The appearances point^clje interment not to have excoedetLiwo years, and therefore very grave suspicions are naturally aroused. The undressed condition of the man leads one* to imagine that it was during the evening a disturbance had occured and a fatal wound received by him. That owing to the darkness no steps could be taken to secrete him, and' he was allowed to lay until daylight enabled his murderer to enter the swamp and with a reaphook cut; but > quick grave in the soft top soil. ".'-. . We believe that there is every prospect of the ina,n's name being discovered, hut we should imagine those , who have killed him, soon went olear of the Colony, and are not therefore likely to befound. No men who had committed suoh a crime, hid in such a shallow grave, would be likely to remain long in its neighbourhood.