NAIL IN SKULL.

Shannon News, 10 February 1925, Page 3

NAIL IN SKULL.

. OLD MURDER DISCLOSED. I BODY BURIED FOOT DEEP. WANGANUI, February 5. Recently a gruesome discovery was made on a farm at Wangaehu, near the sea-icoast, when the owner unearthed portion of human remains during his agricultural pursuits. Wnen he closely examined the skull, he louud undoubted evidence of a murder. Into the brain cavity had been driven a large nail, which protruded some two and a half-inches. The nail, which to-day is. still firmly embedded in the skull, was of tiie old-fashioned square-cut floor brad type, made by hand from a sheet oi iron. The nail to a large degree fixes tiie approximate date of the murder. . It has been examined by experts here, who state that this class of nail was in universal use about thirty years ago, befor© being replaced by what is now known as the round wire nail. The skull is that of a white man, from twenty-two to thirty-five years of age. It is surmised that the murder was committed some fifty to seventy years ago.

Tiie murderer evidently ihid all traces of his crime by burying the body about a spade deep in the lonely spot. Search of title locality revealed no other exhibits that might lead to identification. In those days the coast was the road between Wanga - - nui and Wellington, there being accommodation houses at the various rivers which required to be forded. One of these houses was situated near the scene of the tragedy in the early days, which was then, and is now, a lonely spot. The coast road did not follow the beach all - the way on account of drifting .sand and the nature of the country, but the beach was hugged where possible, on account of the hostile nature of the Natives. Numerous persons have mysteriously disappeared on this coastal road, and no trace has ever been found of them. Inquiries locally ' have brought , out the names of at least three who disappeared between Turakina and Wanganui.

The Magistrate, Mr J. S. Barton, had the skull submitted to him. .He states that it would 'be useless, to attempt to hold an inquest, but publicity may bring the matter under the . notice of some of the younger generation who had heard their relatives speak of some friend w(ho had disappeared on this route. A radiograph photograph has been taken of the skull.