MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 216, 20 August 1887, Page 2

MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY.

A few day* ago Mr? If. Small, residing at Luddenham, about twelve miles from Penrith, New .South Wales, reported to Seigeant Dove that her ton, aged 19 years on returning home at about 12.30 that morning, and when near the Fiery Paddock, saw a phosphorescent figure about the size of an olephant, but of the shape of a dog. This changed to a fiery eiicle shortly afterwards, and shoitly after that to the figure of a man, headless. The young man became so terribly alarmed that he started oil" towards home at a pace that would Mirprihe even Samuels. He told his mother what he had seen, and on the following morning- the two proceeded to the spot, m here they saw the remains of a fire, and among the debris some burnt bones and other things, which caused Mr Small to give infounation to the police. The next day Sertreant Dove, accompanied by Mounted-constable Belfour, proceeded to Mrs Small's residence, who at once took them to the spot indicated. .After a search the sergeant collected certain portions of the burnt debris, including bones and buttons, &c, which he brought into Penrith. The locality is described as in a very out-of-the-way place, near the southern boundary of the Homestead run, and near the famous Filly Paddock, about a mile and a half from the Luddenham Road. Judging by all the surroundings, there is every appearance of a body having been burned ; and what is more suspicious, within a lew feet of the lire a hole has been dug about 6 feet long, 2 feet -wide and about 18 inches deep, dug by some blunt tool. This hole and the remains of the fire appear to be of about two years' standing, and the general impression is that there has been foul play. The police have made every inquiry, but * o far without finding anything that would at all lead to elucidate the mystery. The bones were examined by Dr. Brady, and carefully compared, with the result that the doctor at once pronounced the bones to be those of a human being.