The Glenbrook Murders.

Manawatu Herald, 8 December 1896, Page 2

The Glenbrook Murders.

♦ With reference to the Glen brook mystery, the body of Preston was found in a deep and lonely gully close to the mouth of a oave. But little care had been taken in burying it. The grave was arranged in snob a way that the water from an overhanging rook would drip into it and thii3 cause rapid decay, The supposed tracks of Butler and We'K r have been picked up, and fur: her discoveries are expeoted. The suggestion has been made to despatch a steamer from one of the southern ports in New Zealand to intercept the sailing vessel Swan* hilda, in which Butler is laid to h*ve left Newcastle for San Fran* cistvi. Shipmasters consider the suggestion feasible. The work of exhuming Preston's body hegan this morning. It lay on its back with the head turned to the left side, the legs drawn np out of shape, the left arm crushed under the aide, and the ight arm pressed behind the back. Tk> general appearance showed that the grave was too small, and that the abdomen had been pressed, by the weight, probably of a body, bo as t ) cram in into the space. Ths body was fearfully crushed, a art much decomposed, but a friend ;.f Preston completely established the identification! Tha whole surroundings were most pitiful. The body was placed in a coffin and taken to Fenrith for the inquest. The post mortem showed that death was dv« to a gun-shot wound in the brain, in addition to which there were two fractures of the skull. A man said to resemble Butler has been arrested at Port Macquarie. The medical testimony at the inquest on the body of Preston brings oub as clearly as though it has been enaoted before one's the faot that Preston and his mate had camped for a night in the gully where the body was found. Wheth the grave was dug before or after the deed was committed remains a mystery, but it is fairly certain that Preston was sitting down at the edge of a pool of water divesting himself of his boots when his mate potted him from behind. Probably he was going to have a wash. One boot was off, and the sock of the same foot partly drawn down. The bullet passed through the base of the skull, coming out at the root of the nose, and splitting the booy structure. Then the murderer tied* a towel round ibe body and dragged it along the ground about 15 paces to the hob where it was found.' A boot was left behind to be pioked up by the searchers. From the composed appearance of the features, death must have been instanteneous. A witness named Thompson, at whose restaurant Butler had been staying, Raw the men leave the train at Emu Plains on 19th October, fie met Butler (H&rwood) again in Sydney on the 29-h, and witness said, " Hullo t got back again r" 11 Yes," replied "Harwood." " What is the matter f" enquired Thompson. " Oh ! the young fellow knocked up, and I had to come back to look for another mate," wai " Harwood's " reply. . Thompson suggested his own son, and Harwood retorted, '* Yes, I wish 1 had taken him now.' They agreed to talk the matter over that night, but Harwood did not turn up, and they never met again. When Harwood was staying at witness's place he had two revolvers — ordinary bull dogs— and a knifa and. Winchester rifle. When he got at the Emu Plains he had the rifle with him. The excitement over the mountain myatery ha 3 reached fever beat, owing to the discovery of another body— that of Weller. Hundreds joined in the search on Sunday, and during the forenoon two residents of Glenbrook, searching in a gully a mile west of the town! came Across ground recently disturbed, with twigs and stones piled on top, under a ledge of rock, similar in many respects to the condition of Preston's grave. " ; The party also found a pick with which the grave was evidently da£, and a magazine bearing Weller! s name was discovered near by. v! On arrival of the police sufficient earth was removed to disclose the temaina of a human body in &n advanced stage of decomposition. One side of tha face, however, was in a sufficient state of preservation to make the identification of Weller absolute. The viotim had the knees drawn

up under the chin, and the body had apparently been jammed into the hole. How he came by his death will not be knowa until the poit-movtm examination tomorrow. One side of the face bears the appearance of being crushed in. A third man named Lesah is missing. He went to Germantown in the Albury district, and a search will now be instituted there. The Extradition Court met yc-ster-(lay to draw up the necessary papers with respect to the arrest of Butler, and Detective Roche will immediately after the sitting proceed to London to interview the authorities of the Foreign Office to have the documents put in proper order for the extradition of the murderer if arreited. Constable Conroy, who very nearly decided to accompany Butler on one of his prospecting tours, leaves by the Miowera, en rout* to San Fran* Olioo, in order to arrest the accused.