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OATES MURDER MYSTERY RECALLED.

(’ASH-BOX- FOUND ON RiIVERBANK.

Recollections of one of the most mysterious crimes over committed in New Zealand, namely the Oates murder at Aram oho, were revived an Saturday, when an old cashbox was found on the rtverbank, neait the scene of the murder. The discovery was made by Mr. O. Benson, caretaker of the Wanga.lllti East esplanade reserve, who was working on the river bank, Somme Parade, on the city side of the house where the crime was perpetrated. The finding of the cash-box was reported to the police, and Detective J. Walsh lost no time in proceeding to Afarton to interview Mr. W. R. Oates, husband of the mnfrdered woman. Oates told the detective that the cash-box was not his. He said the cash-box thathad been found was larger than his and it was locked, having been cut open with a tin-opener or other instrument, whereas his (Oates’) eash-box had never been locked because the key had been lost. The murdok’ of Mrs. Oates took place on the night of October 2fi, 1923. and was followed by n long and diligent search by (lie police, a reward of £SOO being offered for information that would bring the perpetrator to justice. The mystery remains unsolved, together with the murder of 'Chow Yat in June of the previous year. A peculiar feature about the present find of the eash-box is that seeing Mr. Oates says it is not his property, then some person must have stolen it from some other firm and deposited it in a- likely spot where one would naturally*expect to find Oates' eash-box. It is again hardly likely that the police would have missed finding tlie eash-box during the days following Ihe murder of Airs .Oates, for the bank of the river in the locality was very carefully searched by i hem. One constable who was then in Wanganui also during his own spare time spent houlrs searching in the locality for the cashbox or implement with which Mrs. Oates was murdered. The chances are i hat the murder may haivc tossed the cash-box and the implemonl into the river. A diver could have been employed to search, bui it was considered at the time lhat his chances of finding the exhibits would be very remote. Then again, marks at the rear of the Oates property indicated that tliG murderer left the premises by the back way. In that case the exhibits could have been deposited in lhe country at the back. Friday's find leads the police no nearer the solution of the murder. Had the box belonged to Air. Oates il would have established the fuel that robbery was the motive. The best police brains in New Zealand were engaged upon the inipiiries at the time. Every avenue was carefully combed and numerous residents were interviewed.

One thing- that baffled all was that it could have happened so quickly. A happy, cheerful woman bids her husband an revoir in the hop and expects him to follow her home a little time later and goes on ahead. She was not known to have a single enemy. A robber would hardly have expected her to have the shop takings in her pos-. session, and would more likely direct his attention to the owner of the shop. If he thought she had the money it would have been an easy iiiailqr for him to waylay her on a comparatively lonely locality on a dark night and get clean away ■without going to the trouble of entering- the house, where any commotion was likely lo 'alarm the neighbours. It may be that the murderer decided to silence Mrs. Oates and then wait for the husband. There is nnotlieii- mystery surrounding- the murder, namely, the 'lilltle dog- that was fo'tind after the murder in an unconscious slate, having received a severe blow on the head with some implement. The dog was known to he a good watch-dog. If the dogbarked on the evening- of the murder then Airs. Oates received a warning that a stranger was about before she or the mnrdetrer opened tlie door. It was ore tty evident also that the struggle with Airs. Oates did not take place at the door.

Another extraordinary feature of the affair presented itself. Was the murderer filled with remorse after committing the deed? It looked like it, ink* the body was laken from the kitchen, through a passage and into the bathroom, and here the features were covered with a cloth. It seems extraordinary that a linijrderert. after "seeing red,” would become so -considerate and lose time that might he valuable to him in getting away. However, as already indicated, the police inquiries at the time ■were very thorough, and the mystery is still unsolved, and Ihe finding of a cash-box does not help matters much. —'Herald.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19301007.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4514, 7 October 1930, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
808

OATES MURDER MYSTERY RECALLED. Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4514, 7 October 1930, Page 2

OATES MURDER MYSTERY RECALLED. Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4514, 7 October 1930, Page 2

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