PUKEKAWA MURDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2176, 14 September 1920, Page 2

PUKEKAWA MURDER.

FARM LABOURER ARRESTED. Auckland, Scpienih, 13. The arrest was effect ml on Saturday afternoon at Tuakau of a farm labourer, named Samuel John Thorn, on the charge of murdering Sydney Seymour Eyre, a I Pukekawa on the night of August 24th. Thorn was conveyed to Anekland in custody on Saturday evening, and will he brought up at The Police Court 10-niorrow morning. The arrested man is 33 years of age. lie is married, bat has for some lime been living apart from, his wife and familv of six children. While Evre

was on active service for over two years. Thorn managed the farm for Mrs Eyre. In July, Eyre having returned, Thorn went to work at Glenmurray, 18 miles from Eyre's homestead. He had been working there for about six weeks when the murder was committed, and during that period had paid three visits to Eyre's. A doubie-harrellcd shot-1

gun and some ammunition wore found in Thorn’s wharc, and these have been submitted to an expert, whose report is in (lie hands of the police. It is understood that the authorities are satisfied that only cue shot was fired, and that a special kind of cartridge was used, and some of the pellets found in the murdered man’s room are in possession of the police. It is understood that the police investigations have established three points: —(1) That the murder was not committed for robbery. (2) that the perpetrator must have been acquainted with the house and surroundings, (3) that the shot was fired from outside the house.