CLERK MURDERED

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 3, 26 August 1931, Page 3

CLERK MURDERED

Press Assoeiation-

palmerston n' crime

YOUNG MAN WAYLAID AND SHOT DEAD v ON ROAD. . ROBBERY BELIEVED MOTIVE ;

— Couvrierlit.

By Telephone — "Post" Special Service.

PALMERSTON NORTH, Tuesday. With five bullet wounds in his body, a young railway booking clerk, Edwin John Blakeway, was found lying dead' beside the Longburn-Karere 'Road on the outskirts of Palmerston North. The police are conv'nced that he was murd'ered and robbery appears to have been the motive. A roll of notes which were • in | Bilakeway's possession had disappeared, and five empty cartridge shells were found lying beside tbe body. At the time tbe crime was committed Blakeway was apparently cycl'ng back to Palmerston North from Longburn. He was apparently hailed from the side cf the road and was .shot when he dismounted and walked back.

Bullet wounds were found in tbe hand, wrist, chest and head and appear to indicate that Blakeway endeavoured to protect himself by shielding his bead with his arm. It has been fairly definitely establisbed tbat Blakeway was deliberatcly shot by an assailant who lay in wait on tbe side of tbe road. One shot was apparently fired point blank at close range.

The cr'me was committed beside one of tbe lesser highways leading out of Palmerston North and .in a district whicb is almost a suburb of tbe town. ' • Blakeway was formerly stationed in Auckland in the employment of tbe New Zealand Railways, and was a prominent compet tor in road raees conducted by the Manukau Amateur Cycling Club During the 1926 s: & son he registered fastest time on two occasions, onca when riding from scratch and another time when off 15s He was placed second to W. T. Bray, wbo won an 11-mile race that year. His principal suecess on the -cracks here was the wnning of the two-mile Auckland provincial championship in 1927.

The deceased was one oi ine oesu "known and most popular amaLur riders in the North Island. * He was at one time secretary of tbe Selwyn Amateur Athletic Club, Wellington.

The body was found by lYir. n. Leng-Ward, a newspaper canvasser, of Palmerston North, who was motoring along the Karere Road. He stopped to. examine a racing bicycle lying in the middle of the road. Hc tben saw the fully dressed body of a young man lying face downwards on the grass at tbe side 'of the road. Indications point to a struggle at' the point were the body was found It is surmised that after the deceased had dismounted from his ' maehme he walked toward b:s attacker with his hand upraised to protect his head, and received a bullet through the wrist at close range. t On Saturday the deceased fimshed unplaced in a cycle rpad race. Yesterday he made an -89-mile trammg ride to Pahiatua, return ing at 6 p.m. He mentioned to his landlady tbat he had had a fall but was not mjured. Two smalL empty cartridge shells were found by the body. e" c: ased's landlady sa'-d Mr. Blakeway had an exceedingly bappy disposit ton i He was inclined to dispiay a roll oi banknotes which he always carried. His friends had warned him of the danger of doing so, but their advice ! had been disregarded. It is said the ' deceased was carrymg at least idu i when he left his boardmg-house last ! evening This morning all that wav I found in his cloth ng was a sum of one shlling and fourpence. .

• The body was stretclvaa sudigm. out, except for the neck, which was hunched close to the shouM.rs g.v in- rise to the belief that after be.ng i shot, deceased was dragged or proI bably 1'fted under the arms to tl.e | nlace where he was found. Sound as of Groanmg. • ' None of the occupants of Mr it- | Tanner's houae, which to fl tte« . chams ; away, heard sounds oi shots, but M Tanner on retiring at 11.15 htard two souods Hke groacis. These she attrlbut.d to stock 0nD^afsaJ arriyed here irom Otaki a fortnight ago on relieymg duty as a railway booking clerk. He had an ; exceedingly happy Se^OTht yfellow was very popular with his leiiow I employees Otaki people describe him a?a man who would never make enei mies He is reported to have been in the bab'it of carrying mone^ ,