SHOCKING OCCURRENCE. DEAD BODY FOUND ON THE TRAMLINE AT ESPOM. Auckland, April 2

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 253, 7 April 1888, Page 3

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE. DEAD BODY FOUND ON THE TRAMLINE AT ESPOM. Auckland, April 2

Liil (lead 1)0(1) ol a in. m w ho^c name is .1 pie-.enl unknown wa-> found m <m eailv lioin I his moi ninjj, en the mclo ot the ti.im line at. li|)-oni. Jb ■uas oudenl tiom the mulilalcd appcaiancc oJ the both lli.il th c deceased had been \oiy badl\ mpiivd, it hio death had not beeu.tctualh caused, In one of tin 1 tiam-cai;-. Tho diseo\ei;y oi the body was made between ii\c and -i\ o'clock tin-, mo'inun b\ .1 youth n.inicd William John l>riu,'h,uii. 110 was on his way to low nin company uitli Thorn is Ch.id'Mek. and when about ei'^htj y.uiK alonj; the Ep^om lloml, he saw the dead body of a man lym^ clo-e to the luini railt>. lie al on tie oa\(> mioi inatioM to (.'oust able Collie, who proceeded to the spot, indicated, and took ehaiue of the bod\ . — The lace was cut and 1 di-liuuied, the skull bioken in sc\eial ! places, and the liyhtaiin bioken. The l)ody A\as (pule .still and cold, and it wai-- appnteut, tluil il; had been dead tor some time. The constable 10moved the bod\ to Smith's .lunction Hotel, w'heie \i> now lies awaiting an ii\(pit'st. Sonic, loo.se mlvoi, a handkciehiet, kniit , ! pencil, and broken pipe wcie, iound in the pocket 1 -. The lealuics oi deeea.sed weie icco^nised by Mis Smith as tluw; ol a man w ho came into tho Junction Hotel about si\ o'clock last o\enin i u 1 in company with iconic of Mi" daily's- cart/ei.s. lie svas umler ! tho inlluence of b([uor, and his companions were cndcmouriiif; to per.suade him to pay tor drinks toi them, but lie retiused to do so. They then left linn outside tho place and went away, and .she did not see deceased again until hi.s body was taken into the hotel this mornino 1 . Th<; only paper lound in tho possession ot deceased which mi^ht lead to his identification is an order signed by William Bell and requesting that his watch mi<_dit bo delivered to tho bearer (Mr Bradford). It has now transpired Mini the name of MlO unfortunate man who was killed on tho linui line at Kpsom under the .shoekino ciicunintances detailed in our last c\cnmn'\s issue was Joseph William Biadlield. 110 was a bushnum by occupation, and came to lown a week ago last Tuesday from

1 Kelly'.s bush, at the Wade, when ho h.'id boon working. His wifu also camt to town to bo confined and is now living in Montaguo-btreet, Nowton. Bmdfield wife at, the vaee> on Monday, and returned with i sonic others in one of Mr Ciaig's \ans, dri\cn by a n.an named Thomas I 'renter. It is believed that deceased, who was under l,lic influence of liquoi, sufc down on a bank by the roadside, and fell asleep, and that he then lolled down on to the tram-line. One of the leader boys s;av a man lying close to the mils at ten o'clock, and called to him to get up. No leply was made, and the boy being high toned, took no further steps in the niattertill ho gottothotramstablcswhen hoinfoimcd.John Uusscll, oneof thegroom.s Stiangely enough, no lurther notice was Ijikcn of the matter, and although of the dri\ers lolt home .slight obstruction at thi^ point they did not make any examination.