THE ELMORE MURDER. A MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY ELUCIDATED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 293, 25 August 1888, Page 5

THE ELMORE MURDER. A MYSTERIOUS TRAGEDY ELUCIDATED.

The Melbourno ♦• Argus " gives the following particular of the Elmore murder* reference to which is made in ou r Australian cables of to-day : — The usual quietude of the township of Elmore, or, as it was called in earlier days, l&unnymede, not far from Sandhurst, was rudely di&turbed by the discovery made on Saturday thab a man had been murdered in its vicinity. The name of the murdered man is not known, nor has ib yet been ascertained what weapon was used or who was his assassin. The only certainty about the matter is that the victim was wilfully killed, for the blow, which battered hid skull in, must have been well aimed and intended to deprive him of life. About the end of May a tramp or swagman made his appearance in Elmoro and took up his quarters in a hub about a quarter of a mile from the valley. The hut is frequently inhabited by sundowners, and the unknown man diffeied little trom others of that class. lie appeared to bo about 46 years of ajre, and his accent showed that he was a native of Ireland. He was last seen alive on the 6bh June by Mrs Andrews, a boarding-house keeper, who fixes the date by the Sandhurst races, which were held on that day. The man came to hor house on the 6th inst. , and asked for a piece ot bread, and in return for this he cub up some firewood for Mrs Andrews. On Monday last four woodcutteis took up their abode in the hut. That afternoon one of them (Duncan M'Leanj went to the log and bush fence dividing the paddock from the lane to pick up dead leaves to light the fire\ He there found a bran bag hidden amongst the logs of the fence, and on opening ifc discovered some wearing apparel saturated with blood. He reported the discovery to Senior- Constable Salts, who is in charge of the Elmore Police Station, and that officer commenced a^ search. On Saturday afternoon Senior Constable Axtile found the body of a man in an advanced state of decomposition hidden in the fence. The body was lying face downwards between two logs, and was covered by an old blanket, which in turn was hidden by dead leaves and dried grass. The body was only 36ft. from the hut, and the wonder is that four men had lived in the hut for nearly a week without discovering the presence of the decomposing corpse. The body was nude with the exception of an old shirt, and it presented a shocking appearance. The greater part of the right side of the skull was completely broken in, and six large pieces of bone were almost detached. The police kept guard over the body all flight, and Dr. Taaf arrived from Rochester and held a po^t mortem examination. It is his opinion that the man was murdered three or four weeks ago, and that wie fracbures must have been caused by heavy blows from somt metal implement. The man had evidently been murdered whilst lying on his left side in his bunk probably while asleep, for there aie no evidences of a strngrgle. The body was then seemingly carried through the back of the hut (where three slabs had been removed), and hidden in the fence closo by. The clothing found in the bag was stained, either by being used to wipe up the gore or by having been placed uncter the bunk when thp man went to bed. Later news stated that the victim of the Elmore murder was John Duggan, a farm labourer of most miserly disposition. He had saved several hundied pounds, £670 of it being in the bank, for which there is a deposit receipt. He was also believed to have a tcood deal of cash. The new discoveries point to the motive for the crime. Two men, named Lewis alias JHolHe, and Williams were arrested on suspicion of being: connected with the crime, but were afterwards liberated. The latest intelligence is that the coroner's jury have found a verdict of wilful murder against William Harrison.