A TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2190, 16 October 1920, Page 3

A TRAGEDY.

YOUTH SHOT DEAD. ALLEGED MURDERER AT LARGE. Taumaranui, Yesterday. There was a murder at the backblocks settlement of Tokirimu, 25 miles out last night. It is stated that a returned soldier, W. Anderson, thirty or forty years of age, went to the house of Loft brothers and found Jim Loft, a married man and his nephew, Fred. Telfour, at home. He asked, also, for an overcoat, and then said: “Are you all at home?” Loft replied “Yes.” Anderson said: “I will get the two of you,” meaning the Loft brothers. He then pointed a rifle at Jim Loft, hut Fred Telfour, aged eighteen, interposed, receiving the charge in his chest. He died in five minutes. The other brother was absent at their other farm at Churn, Jim Loft rushed through a bedroom, and escaped through a window, swam the Olutra river, walked barefooted through the bush a distance of sixteen miles to the Aukopae boatlanding, on the Wanganui river, v here he is now in bed in a state of collapse. The Taumarunui police went ou ( i this morning with the coroner. Anderson had been “sacked” by Loft brothers. It is alleged he had a. grudge against them. Anderson is still at large. He used to live in Taumarunui. He is well known as a Scotch piper. Later. Anderson called at a settler’s this morning and loaded himself with cartridges. Anderson was seen at cue o’clock to-day crossing the bridge at Blarembergs in the direction of Tokirima. The police and settlers have gone to meet him.