THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER. Discovery of Wreckage Near Port MacQuarie. THE WRECKAGE UNDOUBTEDLY THAT OF THE MISSING CUTTER.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 173, 9 October 1886, Page 3

THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER. Discovery of Wreckage Near Port MacQuarie.

THE WRECKAGE UNDOUBTEDLY THAT OF THE MISSING CUTTER.

Infobmation to hand per Manapouri from Sydney leaves not the elighteet doubt as to the fate of the cutter Sovereign of, the Sees, the wreckage of that vessel having been identified by certain well-known signs, names and numbers. How the, notorious Caffrey and Fenn and the unfortunate girl havß fared still remains in doubt, lurther than, as re corded in our last evening** issue, a man having a great resemblance to the former is already in the hands of the police. The following particulars appear in the "Sydney Morning Herald " of September 29th : — Port MacQuarie, Tuesday. Lost Saturday affcerncon Pilot Kingsford received information that some wreckage had been washed up on the beach, north of Port Macquarie. He at once proceeded to search the beach and found part of a deck beam, with combing attached. In the beam was cut the toonage,3l, and also the official number, 52,415. The pilot sent his men out again on Sunday to search the southern beach. They discovered a board evidently from the stern of a vessel, with the name Sovereign of the Sea painted on it. It had been painted over with black paint except the letters "reign." It will be remembeied that on the 19th of June a murder was committed on the Great Barrier leland, New Zealand, by John Caffrey and Henry Albert Perm, who had charge of the cutter bearing the above name. The man murdered was Robert Taylor. No doubt this wreckage is the re mains of the same vessel, which left the island cutter-rigged, and flying a black flag, and which was occupied by the two men named. The New Zealand Government offered a reward of £300 for their apprehension. The finding of the beam with the tonnage and official number cut upon it, and also the board with the name of the vessel, appears 'conclusive proof that she at least has finished her career. The circumstance of the name having been painted out with black paint, excepting the letters "reign," shows that the crew had an evident intention of destroying as far as possible the chance of the vessel being identified, but it does not settle the question whether the wreck of the cutter may or may not have been a wilful act, although it is probable that, at all events, the men Caffrey and Perm reached the shore in judging from recent reports, it appears safety. Wellington, Oct. 5. The "Post" understands tbat the police authorities have received a cable from the Superintendent of Police of New South Wales, stating that a man answering to the ' portraits and description of Caffrey, the Great Barrier murderer, has been arrested, The man in custody, however, has on his breast some tattoo marks which are not noted in the description of Caffrey sent up by the New Zealand police It i8 quite possible that they did not know of these. Caffrey's mate, Perm, has, it is believed, also been seen in New South Wales. The supposition is that the two men landed in New South -Wales after abandoning the Sovereign of the Seas in such a position that she would be wrecked and created an impression that all hands had been drowned. Probably an officer will be sent from Auckland to Sydney to see if the man in custody is really Caffrey.