RUAWARO MYSTERY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 682, 7 November 1933, Page 6

RUAWARO MYSTERY

THREE WEEKS' HUNT RELIEF WORKERS TO MOVE 3500 TONS OF SLACK EFFORTS TO FIND BODY Huntly, Monday, Three weeks ago to-day the body of Mrs. Christobel Lakey was found with her head immersed in a duck pond on her farm at Ruawaro. S'ince then the police, detectives and settlers have scoured the district for miles around in search of her husband, Samuel Pender Lakey-, who is believed to have been shot. Heavy showers of rain to-day interfered with the search, but twenty unemployed men, specially selected in Huntly, started to move the coalslack tip belonging to the Renown mine at Rotowaro. They are under the supervision of Detective J. B. Findlay. Work was started at 7.30 a.m., and the men finished for the day at four o'clock this afternon. Twice during the morning heavy showers forced the men to shelter. Records at the coal mine show that at time of the suspected shooting of Mr. Lakey the tip contained about 1400 tons of slack. About 100 tons of slack has been put on the tip each day since the discovery of the tragedy, so that at the moment there are about 3500 tons. With the idea of cooling the smouldering tip as much as possible, a culvert running nearby has been diverted to it. Swamp land near the Lakey farm was again searched by constables, under Sergeant A. Bissett. Improved Accommodation Improvements for the accommodation of police officers engaged in the search have been made on the Lakey farm. Besides three bell tents, a large marquee has been put up, and

the paliasses which have been used for nearly three weeks have been replaced by camp stretehers. The small lean-to alongside which it is thought Mr. Lakey was shot has been converted into a camp kitchen and drying room. Apparently attracted by the reward of £100 for the bo'dy of Mr. Lakey, settlers from districts far afield and citizens from Huntly joined in the search yesterday. Chief Detective Sweeney and Detective T. Sneddon visited a pit on a farm near Pukekapia, between Ruawaro and Huntly. Detectives T. A. Allsopp and J. B. Findlay were among those who carried out a 16 miles' search by boat on Lake Whangape, while Sergeant Bissett led a party of constables over the marshlands.