WAS IT MURDER? THE DEATH OF McMiLLAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 281, 14 July 1888, Page 4

WAS IT MURDER ? THE DEATH OF McMiLLAN.

Auckland July 11. OiN Sunday, Ist ins>t., the dead bo<ty of a young man, which wj.s subsequently identi- | iicd as thai ol William McMillan, Avas iouncl undoi a cliir' at Point Resolution, Parnell, "with a iabal wound id the foichead and a dibehaiged ie\olver lying on a ledge of lock near. Ttwasab once concluded that/ it was a case of juicide, but theie was an apparent absence of motne foi the commission ot buch an act, and theie was no scrap of wilting leit by McMillan, or shred ot suggestion fiom those with whom he had been asj-ociating, to prove that he had ever contemplated, self-destruction. The only theory advanced was that he had been brooding over a love disappointment, but this did not appear fco have any solid substratum of truth. Jt will be remembered that at the inquest on McMillan the representative of the police — Sci^eant Gamble — interfered, and stopped the inquiry just at the point when iniormation appeared to be foi Incoming which mierht have given some clue to the motive. Apparent y, Seigeant (-ramble acred from feelings ot delicacy in oider to prevent the name ot a lecently-mamod lady fiom being introduced into the case. The jury were mo\ed with equally gentlemanly foelmgv, and they decided not to take any tui ther evidence. Subsequent events have, howcsei, pioved the advisability of the fullest evidence being placed betoie the J ni TIt now appears tint McMillan, who was woi king ii company with a brother at the Thames, had been m good health and cheerful spiat;-, and that was his noimal condi tion — he never having brooded over anything or shown the least tendency towaids lapsing int 1 melancholia. He was also a sober and steady man, not likely to have gone on the "spree"' and committed .suicide in a conscquont" lit of depression. His relatives and friends, therefore, decline to accept the theoiy of suicide, and suggest that thts unfoituuateycung man has been lobbed and mm dci ed by somo person unknown.

UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY. McMillan's brother has on his own account been inquiring into the circumstances surrounding his brother's death, and the facts discovered by him have certainly the I appearance of mystery. In the first place, he a-sertsthatthestatement.ibout the deceased ha\ing been crossed in love is a pure fiction. Other remaikablc facts have also 1 -ieen unearthed. The deceased left the Thames on the Tuesday boioi'O his death. At that time he had no revolver. His brother is, however, awaie that the deceased had on his person about C2O, of which Q8 wixi an order from Stone Brother* of the Thames? He was al&o in possession of a silver watch, No. 60975, purchased from Stewart Daw&on and Co. When the body was discovered only C 5 Mere tound in the trousi-is ])oeket and no wutch, although the watch key was produced at the inquest as being found upon the body. The deceased also had Cl3O to his credit in the Savings Bank. That a man under such cncumstanccs should take his own life as .suggested by the veidict ot the juiy ceitainly seems singular. But it must be borne in mind that owing to the intervention of the police the full facts ot the case were not laid befoi c the jury. Had the question of the love disappointment been gone into and proved to have liothing in it, the jury would then have cast about for some other reason, and would undoubtedly have required further information.

UNEXPLAINED FACTS. It appears, on the other hand, somewhat, btiange that the deceased, when he came to Auckland from the Thames, should remain in the city fiom Tuesday until Sunday without calling- upon hip mother and histers, who reside in (Jharlottc-stieob, Eden Terrace distiict. At (he inquest, Mi.ss McMillan .staled th.it she was nob aware that her brother was in town until .someone told her of his death. It was further stated by the police that they were unable to say whevo the deceased had boarded from the time he arrived in Auckland until the Sunday -when the body was dis -overed at the foot of the cliff near Fort .Resolution.

THE REVOLVER IDENTIFIED. With regard to tho revolver found near the body, it has been identified by Mr Hazard," gunsmith, Quocn-strcot, as one sold by him together with a box containing 50 cartridges to a man unknown. The purchaser of the revolver has been describod to the police as a man with a fair complexion, and having a sailor-like appearance. McMillan was dark-complexioned. Anothor

point is that no trace whatever has been got of fche box of cartridges. When the body was discovered it was lying in the water, while the revolver was nob grasped by the deceased, but wad on the rocks adjacent. It was naturally concluded that the weapon had fallen from McMillan's hand. This idva was strengthened by bhe facb that some of the soft rock' bad evidently been forced into tho muzzle of the weapon, apparently through the revolver having fallen on the point of the barrel.

MR HAZARD INTERVIEWED. Mr Hass-xrcl, the gunsmith, was waited upon to day by a member of the Stau staff In reply to questions be said that ho sold the revolver to the deceased himself on the Friday previous to the Sunday on which he was discovered lying dead. At the time ho thought that the purchase was a sailor going to the Islands, as such men often take pocket- icvolver? with them. McMillan simply said that he wanted a sm 'll revolver, and Mr Hazaid handed him a bulldog. Without asking the price of the article, the purchaser said, " Yes, that will do," and put down ,C 2 in notes. Mi Hazardalso supplied him with a box containing 50 cartridges He says that the deceased was very quiet in his manner and did not talk much. McMillan's older brother subsequently went to the shop to make inquiries, \\ hen MiHazard at once said, " Why, you're the hi other of the man who bought the icvolver." He leplied, " Yes I am." and put down a phoLogiaph upon the countei which Mr Hazaid recognised as the likeness of the man who bought the weapon. THiil DETECTIVES^ AT WORK. We understand that Inspector Bioham was so impressed by the theory advanced by the fiiends oi deceased that he set detective oih'cers to v. ork to inquire into the mysterious circumstance's ; but we imagine, after Mr ITazaid's emphatic statements as Lo the identity of the man who purchased the levolvoi, and the date of pin chase, they will find it difficult to maintain the tlieoiy of murder and lobbery.