THE MURDER MYSTERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3943, 16 May 1929, Page 4

THE MURDER MYSTERY.

* As yet not a single chic has been brought to light'bearing on the murder of Samuel McAleese, aged 29, the surfaceman who was found shot on the roadway on the Motußoad, Gisborne, last week. ' That McAleese did not die by his own hand is beyond dispute, but a motive, for murder is lacking. The mode of life of McAleese removes any suggestion of jealousy or robbery. McAleese and Lappin lived a recluse existence about a mile apart. There was no opportunity for McAleese to make enemies and the situation of his tent over 30 miles from Opotiki gave him little opportunity for friendships. He worked six days a week on a wage of 16s a day and he came to the Papamoa Hills flrom a job on the Waiocka Road three weeks ago. He would have collected wages at the end of a month’s work. At the time of his death he appeared to have only the few shillings which were found in his tent. STATEMENT MADE BY FRIEND. The victim’s best friend, P. Fitzpatrick, who now works in another part of the district, says:—“Sam would not make an enemy.’ 1 met him 2\ years ago at Gisborne and he was then up against it and eager tor work. I was responsible for bringing him up this way.” Fitzpatrick said he could not substantiate a statement that McAleese was saving money to return to Ireland. He did not know of the existence of any considerable sum such as would excite the cupidity of a chance acquaintance. A resident of Opotiki said he had occasionally lent McAleese small sums duiring his periodical visits to the town. Deceased always . paid the mloney hack within a few days without apparently having to wait for wages. The other wodkmate of the dead man,JVlakarini, lives with his family about three ,miles beyond the hut occupied by Lappin. The Maori and McAleese were accustomed to he assigned work by Lappin, who has lived on the road for 15 years and with his colmpanions was Responsible for the maintenance of the seven-mile stretch through the virgin bush. DISCOVERY OF THE BODY. The density of the forest country and the extreme seclusion complicate, the mystery. Lappin and Makarini know of no tracks which a fugitive could take. On the other hand the possibility of a vehicle being used it not likely. Mafearini and Lappin weire proceeding t'o help (McAleese on a section of road at about 2 p.m. when they found 'the body. Two cars came upon the scene shortly after the discovery, but there appears to be no confirmed report of unidentified travellers on the route during the period of less than two hours while MjcAleese was away from the camp. The body lay at the top of a wooden cliff descending almost sheer for 700 ft. The other side of the road is bounded by ia towering bush-clad hill overhanging the road in places. The two roadmen thought at first that their companion had been knocked down by a ,motor-ear. The cut on his lip and injury to the nose are now thought to be consistent with a blow from a heavy stone. The bullet wound in McAleese’s chest was discovered after the body was removed to Opotiki. The first inspection did not reveal any mark in the deceased’s Shirt and it was thought that his garment had been placed on the body after the firing of the shot. A small hole subsequently found in the cloth dissipated this mystery.

S'HO'T WITH QWjN RIFLE. McAleese’s rifle was found in the two sections in a §ugar-!bag within a few feet of the body. It was a ■single isliot, .22 calibre. There was a discharged cartridge in the clialiuber. Similar ammunition was found in the dead man’s pocket and the bullet extracted from the body seems also to be identical with the others. McAleese always carried the weapon and a sack when working on the road, an occasional shot, at a rabbit opr bird, being his objective.

There is no doubt that McAleese was shot with his own rifle, hut the wound through the heart removes any possibility of his having fired the weapon himself. Such a wound would have caused instantaneous death, according to medical opiniou, and this confounds the idea that McAleese could have taken his rifle apart after a_ self-inflicted injury. There is also the signiiicant fact that the shot was not fired at close enough range to cause powder marks or a burn.

A strange thing is .that the body lay on the 'brink of the .valley with his head somewhat higher than the feet, yet the 'blood frojm the wounds appeared to reach upward, as though the 'body had for a time been in the reverse position with the feet at a higher level. At the .spot where McAleese dropped or was placed a few pushes would have launched -the body into the dense growth on the slopes below, and it is doubtful if it would .ever have been found. A CLUMSY CRIMK Whatever the motive it was a clumsy crime and the perpetrator left very obvious evidence that murder had been committed where he could obviously have left fewer traces. • Apart from the bare fact that it was a -crime, and neither accident nor suicide, little remains to Ibe said. ‘Th-e rifle has been sent to Auckland for fingerprint examination and to-day Detectives McLeod and Knight climbed some distance down the cliff and conducted an examination of the trees and ground. The chance of finding anything thrown into the valley by the

murdered is negligible. Previously Constable 'Breed descended for about 300 ft. with a rope but nothing incriminating was found.

The detectives are faced with a mystery which presents neither clues nor motives. Given food a man could hide for months from a regiment of heaters in the country surrounding the scene of the crime. Alternatively he eould walk securely along the deserted road at night and never be sighted. I McAleese and his companions in their isolated dwellings on the road were accustomed to retire early. An occasional visit to Opotiki would lie their only recreation. McAleese’s dwelling was a. composite tent. He slept on a typical bush bed made of sacking stretched on stakes and in a curtained-off portion of the tent he cooked. A few periodicals and magazines strewn about suggested occasional but not studious or prolonged reading. A rude structure of boards did duty as a table. There were the few essential stores expected in the camp of a solitary (man.