MURDER SUSPECTED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 65, 7 November 1931, Page 3

MURDER SUSPECTED

(Press Assn.—

LARGE SUM MISSING OLD MAN BRUTALLY DONE TO DEATH IN COTTAGE ROBBERY BELIEVED MOTIVE

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

BLENHEIM, Friday. , Investigation into the death of an old man named James Flood, who was found dead in his twq-roomed house at Canterbury Street, Picton, has lead to the belief that he was brutally murdered, the object being a large sum of money which now seems to be missing. Flood, who w*as a bachelor, was 76 years of age, and lived alone. He was last alive at 8.30 on Tuesday night. Last night, not having seen the old man about, neighbours eommunicated with the police who made an entry by a window and found the old man lying dead on the floor of the living room with his throat cut. All the evidence at this stage pointed to suicide, but investigations are believed to have put a different complexion on the matter. In the first place it was discovered that the back of the skull had been smashed in and that the wounds in the throat were so savagely made that the actual bones were severed. In addition, the police found the one door of the place loeked and the key missing. Subsequently, they recovered the key from the Picton Croquet Club's lawn, where a member found it on Wednesday afternoon. It had evidently been throwli on the lawn from the road. The Croquet Club's premises are over a quarter of mile from Flood's house. The old man had three nephews resident at Picton and one of them states that he helped his uncle to fill in his unemployment return a week ago. In this paper Flood showed his year's income as over £160. He was known to possess ample .means, deriving his income frpm a farm property at Port Underwood. He had no bank account and is stated to have kept his money

about him. All that was recovered from his pocket book was a little silver. Detective Sinclair is in charge of the inquiry assisted by Constables Condon and Roberts of Picton. It is understood that they are being reinforced from WellingtonFrom the ashes in the fireplace alongside which the body was found a small pocket knife with one plade open was recovered, but it seems incredible that the deceased's injuries could have been inflicted with so small an instrument. A small hole w"as cut in the. door of the house to permit the cat to enter and leave at its will. On the verandah outside is a trail of blood, but possibly this was caused by the cat. An inquest was opened this afternoon and was adjourned sine. die. A postmortem examination will be conducted to-morrow.