MURDER CHARGE?

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 255, 20 June 1932, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE?

(Press Assn.-

MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH BAFFLING PICTON' MYSTERY.

-By Teiegraoh — Ci>pyrlght).

BLENHEIM, Saturday. In connection with the alleged murder of the old man, James Flood, who was discovered on the floor of his whare at Picton with his throat cut, on November 5 last, it is underwood that the police to-day made the arrest of a man who has been under suspicion. James Flood, aged 74, a bachelor, who lived alone, was found dead-i-n bis two-roomed house in Canterbury Street, Picton, under circumstances which led to the belief that he was brutally murdered. A large sum of money was rcported to be missing. Not having seen the old man about, neighbours communicated with the police, who made entry by a windoW and found his body lying on thte floor of the living room ' with the throat cut. All evidence pointed to suicide, 'out investigations are believed to bave put a different complexi'on on the matter. In the first place, it was discovered that the back of the dead man's skull had heen fractured and that the wounds in the throat were so savagely made that bones were severcd. The police found the one door of the house locked and the key missing. Subsequently they recovered the key from the Picton Croquet Club lawns, over a quarter of a mile from Flood's house. * The old man was lcnown to possess ample means, deriving" his incomfe from a farat property at Port Underwood. He had no bank account and is said to have kept his money about him. All that was recovered from his pockets was a little silver.