GRUESOWE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 324, 25 January 1908, Page 2

GRUESOWE TRAGEDY.

SENSATIONAL SE ASIDE SUICIDE. WIXL-OOWiN STATTOXEIt 11LUW.N TO I'IECE*.

The news of a tragedy, .-uiiddersoinu mill complete, occurring on the bunch yesterday morning üboul II o'clock, soul a thrill of horror through the business coniinunily of llic town, which was intensified when it became known that Ihe iniiiiyl.'d remains h.;d Iwcii identilied as those of Air A. .J Burgess, who succeeded Co the busine.-.s of iir T. I{. flodder, bookseller aiid stationer, in Devon street, ,- t ultle uv.'r a I year ago.

The boom of a violent explosion was heard in town about the hour ui-jiiiij;]-cd, and it was thought by thosj v. no took cognisance of the iiminii.il Sound that some blasting opcralj.'jfH ik connection with the railway wo.-ks weic in progress. ft was not ma.iy n.-iiiutcs, however, before tragedy was assu lilted with the occurrence. Thu'c were a n.'.v children about the vicinity of 'he b.llns at the time, ami a number of railway workers were within hailing distance. The latter noticed the eonii.iO".ion consequent on the explosion, and murHd also the flight of matter into space without divining what was being enacted, their impression being Ilia I someone was blasting rock on the shore. On the town side of the railway, one liulv at least marked the course of something hurled right above Mr Newman's elevated residence into the street beyond, a distance of quite 200 yards. The lirst intimation of the truth \vas

discovered by a little girl, who, with other children playing on the beach near the baths, picked up what was o>covered to be a human ear. .She in formed a lady resident in the vicinif.,

who sent the child to Sir Ogilvie, bads custodian. The latter gentleman saw the shattered and torn object, and be-

lieved it to be a pig's ear carried thitller by a dog. Others attracted to the spot soon were lead to suspect something j more tragic, on noticing rocks in '.he vicinity blood-bespattered. A. search was instituted, and presently a ghastly spectacle was revealed—that of a body shockingly torn and mutilated and bleeding, the upper portion of the trunk and the head completely gone. From the trunk the force of the explosion had torn every vestige of clothing, and scattered around over a. radius of sonic twenty yards were fragments representing all that remained of the arms and missing portions of the bodv.

Investigation showed some 50 feet further in from Hie spot where the body lay, towards the railway line, the place where, the awful act was perpetrated. From there, close up to the embankment, in an open break in the lupins clearly visible from the beachf the lull details of the tragedy protruded themselves. At the spot where the explosion had actually occurred, a hole some two feet in diameter had been blown out. while the face of the bank nad

also been stripped. Tin- iinfortuiiiitc mini had evidently plated the explosive, connected with a short, piece of fine which was subsequently found, on the ground, laying face downwards with the explosive under his chest. The explosion, which, judging by the length oi' the piece of fuse, occurred within a few seconds to its lighting, completely shattered the upper {tortious of the body, scattering them for great distances In all directions, and hurling the rest of the body nearly 20 yards seaward to the spot where it. was discovered. The police were promptly on the. scene, and removed as quickly as possible the ghastly evidences of the tragedy. The scattered remains were gathered together, a portion of an ami and a hand being found in lime street, over 200 yards from the scene. Later the upper portion of the head, peeled bare to the skull, was found on the railway line along with shattered fragments of bone. The missing fragments no doubt were hurled into the sea, the tide being nearly full at the time. A hasty search of the trouscr pockets afforded the first evidence of the identity of the remains, a number of papers bearing the name of A. J. Burgess, Portion of a linen collar bearing the same name left little doubt as to the identity of the unfortunate man. The body was conveyed to the morgue to await the inquest to be held at 9 o'clock this morning. Later investigations brought, to light the fact that on Tuesday Mr Burgess purchased from Messrs 11. Ward and Coone pound of gelignite,- two caps, and about four feet of fuse. At the time there was nothing to indicate any intention on his part to use the material for any purpose other than that stated, to do' some blasting. He asked a number of questions, however, regarding the use of the explosive, and also whether the fuse would work under water. His ignorance of the explosive power of the gelignite was evidenced by the unnecessarily large quantity purchased. It was

also noticed that he asked for exactly the same quantities—the number of caps it will be noted were out of proportion to the amount of gelignite unless for very heavy work—as were purchased by a gentleman who was being served at the counter immediately before him. So far as our reporter could learn there was little, if anything, unusual noticeable in Mr Burgess' condition yesterday morning. About a quarter past ten in the morning, however, he called at this olliee and requested a member of the staff to withdraw his advertisement for a few days, stating he had not decided what he was going to do, but would have another ready when settled in his new premises, recently occupied by Messrs Upton and Sons, and into which he had commenced to transfer his slock. A few minutes before 11 o'clock he called in at Mr J. Stagpoole's bakery on the South road, near the scene of the tragedy, and mentioned that his horse, which Mr Stagpoole was exercising for him in one of his delivery carts, was lame. A brief and casual conversation followed, and Mr Burgess left tne yard. At the shop door he met Mrs O'Driscoll, with whom he chatted for some minutes. The lady states that he appeared then to he low-spirited and depressed, and looked haggard as if from want of sleep. From there lie presumably walked straight to the spot .where, the fata! deed was committal!, as only about five minutes had elapsed when the sound of the explosion was heard.

There is nothing at present to indicate any reason for the sadly rash termination of his life. It was evident to anyone who came into close contact with him in husincss that he was a man who worried considerably. Mrs Burgess' health, which during the greater portion of (heir residence in N T ew Plymouth has been far from well, had also occasioned him considerable anxiety, but latterly Mrs Burgess showed much improvement;, and the fact was reflected in the husband's demeanor, which became more cheerful.