GARROTTED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 444, 31 December 1908, Page 3

GARROTTED.

Victim not Identified.

Wki.lington, Yesterday.

A great many people have viewed the body of the man murdered at Courtenay Place on Saturday night, to see if they could identify him. A visitor from Auckland says he remembers the deceased well, though he does not know the unfortunate man’s name. He says the deceased was a porter and rouseabout at the Hotel Metropole, at Rotorua, in September. In October, the Auckland visitor says, he saw the deceased in Auckland a little the worse for liquor. The man recognised him and endeavoured to borrow money, but his request was refused. The victim of the garrotters, according to this source of information, was of neat appearance and evidently an old sailor. He was apparently a man of some education, and had apparently come down in the world. The police have recorded all the information that the Auckland visitor could give and will make enquiries. The body will be ou view for purposes of identification for another day or so. Later. Acting ou the information supplied by an Auckland visitor oa Tuesday, which visitor identified the body at the Morgue, as that of a porter who had worked at the Hotel Metropole, Rotorua, and Inspector Ellison forwarded a full description of the mau to Rotorua, and yesterday received a reply stating that the description tallied with that of a man named Wm. Thomas, who had been employed at a hotel in the town, but had left some time ago. Thomas, it was understood, had no relatives in the Dominion, and practically nothing was known about him. Two women identified the body last night is that of an acquaintance whd had been employed as a cook at Wanganui. The body will probably be kept at the Morgue for another couple of days. At the request of the police we publish the following description of the deceased man’s boots, which had been half-soled, and which, in the opinion of an expert, would lead a bootmaker who mended the boots to recognise his work. The police would like to communicate with the bootmaker if he can be found. The description is : “ Glace kid boots, size six, round toes, bunion marks, very recently clump half-soled with colonial leather, and big headed brass rivets. Healed with cut sprigs. Three extra sprigs across waist. The waist of left boot only has been fudged. Have been finished with burnishing ink. Soles not painted,”