PUKEKAWA TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2169, 28 August 1920, Page 3

PUKEKAWA TRAGEDY.

POLICE SCOURING THE

DISTRICT

Auckland, August 20

No developments of' importance took place to-day in connection with the murder of Mr Eyre at Pukekawa-, and no arrest has yet been made. The police are scouring the district, but have few (dues to work upon.

The inquest' was opened to-day, when Mrs Eyre told how she was awakened to make the tragic discovery that her husband lin'd been murdered. Evidence lias been found that two shots were tired, and it is presumed (hat (he murderer fired both barrels of his shotgun.

The Auckland Herald supplies the following details of the tragedy: — The murdered man was married, and resided in a Jour-roomed house on his farm at Pukekawa witii his wife, formerly Miss Hallimorc, of Tnakau, and their five children, Philip, aged 17; Doris, aged 14; John, aged 12; Ain-Jcy, aged 10; and Beatrice, aged 4. The deceased was regarded as a man of independent means, and was known to have another area of about 300 acres, of laud further back. Details of the tragic occurrence arc scanty, the police being reticent, but sufficient information lias been obtained to make it absolutely certain that Mr Eyre’s death was due to the act of a murderer, there being no possible room for a theory of suicide. The story of the crime may be reconstructed on the following facts; — Mr and Mrs Eyre retired to bed on Tuesday evening, about nine o’clock. The children had been put to bed previously. Air Eyre and bis wife occupied a bedroom in front ol the bouse, and slept in separate beds. That occupied by the husband was drawn up alongside the window, and in order that he might obtain plenty of fresh air he slept wilh flic window open at the bottom to a height of some 2lf. 'His wiles bed was on the opposite side of the room, sonic 9ft, or 10ft. away. Air Evrc's bead was about on a level with the sill of the window. A SHOT IN THE NIL I IT.

The sound of a sliol awoke Mrs My re about midnight. She called out to her husband, ami obtaining’ no answer she grew alarmed. Rising, .she lit a candle and went across lo ?dr Kyra's bedside. There she was horrilied to discover that Ihe whole of (he top of his head had been blown oil’.

After making her tragic discovery. Mrs Kyre aroused her children and despatched two of the buys l<> ihe post ofiice store, about half a mile away. From there the alarm was given to the police at I’ukekohe, some Pi miles distant. Sergeant Cowan, in charge of that station, immediately called up Constable Wolfendale, one ol Ibe assistant ofliccrs, and together they set out by motor car for ibe scene oi (tie tragedy, and at Tuakau, en route, they picked up Constable Thompson. These three 1 olbeers reached tnc Kvre's farm at about T. a.m., and having satisfied themselves that a. crime of major dimensions had t.o lie investigated, they got into com-, municalion by telephone with Superintendent Wright, in Auckland. The hitler at once got into touch will) Detective-Sergeant Cummings and Sergeant Fox, and instructed them lo proceed lo Bnkekawa by motor car. Tins they did, arriving about da vbreak.

POLICE SET OFF IX A motoi;. Later, Superintendent Wright himself, accompanied hy Chiet-De-teelive McMahon, left Auckland lor die scene of the murder. Their investigations on die spot confirmed (he first conviction that the case was one of murder. As to what theory was formed beyond that nothing has so far been disclosed. All that is known is that die'superintendent ;md chief detective returned to Auckland this afternoon, leaving 'Sergeant Eox in charge of the hod\ of the murdered’man, while Delee-live-Sergeant Cummings, Sergeant Cowan and Constable Thompson were seen lo leave the Eyres farm in a motor ear in a certain direction. Xo development is expected to-night as the result of this expedition into (he back country.

The farm where the murder was committed is one of several scattered over (he locality near enough together to avoid that atmosphere of loneliness which characterises the out-and-out hack-block settlers home. Neighbours are within “eooce," and the settled nature, of the country, with its absence of hush, robs it of that air of solitude which murderers might he supposed to value. The home -Mr Eyre had made stands - in the midst of cultivated paddocks, the whole of Hie front garden area being surrounded by a hedge growing thickly to a height of- 10ft. to 12ft. ABSENCE OF FOOTPRINTS.

The enclosed ground here has been recently ploughed, and a feature of the ease is that not a single footprint was to be found on this ploughed soil, nor for that matter on the space a yard or so wide between it and the building. An examination of the latter Ibis afternoon showed that only an abnormally tall man .eould hare directed a weapon at Mr Eyre from outside the house without standing on some .object. That the deceased was shot in this way, however, cannot be doubted. There was outside the window, against which he lay, a small truck on wheels, suelr as children use, and by standing upon this a man of even medium height would be raised sufficiently high to enable him to rest the barrel of a gun on the window ledge and fire,at his

stooping victim at- close quarters,. Something of this sort (pule evidently happened. Urn aftcr-sigris found in the bedroom'showing the direction of the shot and proving that the weapon used was probably a double-barrelled shotgun. No such weapon was found near the spot, and though there were one or two guns in the bouse, it is ‘understood that none of them had been discharged. This proves beyond doubt that, whoever the murderer was, when he decamped, he took his gun with-Jiim, though how far he carried it, and whether or not he look the precaution to hide it, remains to he seen. VICTIM'S WAR SERVICE. The tragedy has shocked (lie entire district. The deceased was hold in high esteem, and was very popular. He was formerly a member of (he Raglan County Council, and during the war his medical advisers persuaded him to go to Canada for the sake of his health, which was seriously affected by diabetes. Mr Eyre proceeded to Victoria (8.C.), where he enlisted in the 50th Gordons, with which regiment he saw aclivc service in Russia and Siberia. His patriotic services in this division were recognised by the presentation of a certificate of public recognition, signed by (lie Mayor of Victoria, Mr R. S. Porter, and others, under date of June 2nd, 1919. Mr Eyre returned to Pukekawa about a year ago. He was a native of Auckland, having been born in Parnell. It is a remarkable coincidence that on September 24th, 1915, a murder under very similar circumstances took place at Ramarama, 25 miles south of Auckland, and less than twenty miles from the scene of the murder described ahove. Thomas Perry, a farmer, was killed by a shot from a shotgun at 3 o’clock in the'morning, while sleeping,in bed with his wife. The shot was alleged to have been tired through an open window, and the man’s head was partially blown eft.