OLD MURDER DISCLOSED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2844, 10 February 1925, Page 3

OLD MURDER DISCLOSED.

NATL IN SKULL. Wanganui, Feb. 5. Recently a gruesome discovery was made on a farm at Wangaehu, near (lie sea coast, when the owner uncart lied portion of human remains during liis agricultural pursuits. When tie closely examined the skull, be found undoubted evidence of a murder. Tuto the brain cavity had been driven a large nail, which protruded Some two and a-half inches. Tin* nail, wliieti to-day is still lii inly embedded in the skull, was of Hie old-fashioned sqnare-cnl Moor brad type, made by band from n. sheet of iron. The nail to a large degree fixes the approximate dale of the murder. Il has been examined by experts here, who stale lliaj this class of nail was in universal use about thirty years ago, before being replaced by what is flow known as the round wire nail. The skull is that of a white man, from twenty-two to thirty-five years of age. Tt is surmised that the murder was committed some fifty to seventy years ago. The murderer evidently hid all (races of his crime by burying the body about a spade deep in the lonely spot. Search of the locality revealed no other exhibits that might lead to identification. In those days the coast was Ihe road between Wanganui and Wellington, there being accommodation bouses at the various rivers which required to be forded. One of these houses was situated near the scene of the tragedy in the early days, which was then, and is now, a lonely spot. The coast road did not follow the beach all the way on account of drifting sand, and the nature of the country, but the beach was hugged where possible, on account of the hostile nature of the Natives. Numerous persons h ive mysteriously disappeared nil this coastal road, and no trace has ever been found of them. Inquiries locally have brought out the names of at least three who disappeared between Turakina and Wanganui. The Magistrate, Mr J. S. Barton, had the skull submitted to him. He states that it would he useless to attempt to hold an inquest, but publicity may bring the matter under the notice of some of the younger generation who had heard their relatives speak of some friend who had disappeared on this route. A radiograph photograph has been taken of the skull.