Oid Man Murdered

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 282, 1 May 1914, Page 5

Oid Man Murdered

HIS MATE ARRKSTKD. BODY FOUND IN KiVKR BED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Timaru, Last Night., Qm fiuaday last elderly ina®. named Adam Stevenson was missed from a camp on Kelman's farm, near Orari bridge. His mate, Harry Cripps, said Stevenson had left the camp on Saturday evening to go to Geraldine. As Stevenson could not be traced, a search was instituted. This afternoon Constables O'Grady and Murphy, with others, were searching the Orari bed, and the former at 4 p.m. found Stevenson's body among gorge in the riverbed, a chain from the road and about a mile from the camp. A sack had been put over the head and drawn d'own as far ai it would go, and a rug and two other sMks had been placed on the body.' O'Grady went back to the camp and arrested Cripps, who had madfe contradictory statements about Stevenson. A doctor from Geraldine found four wounds on the head as if caused by a blunt instrument Buch as jv Jtammer, any one of which was sufficient to cause death.

Stevenson was 70 years of age, and was said to Be a married man, but was not living with his wife; He was wellknown in the district as a teamster and ploughman. Cripps is about 27; single and his mother lives at Winchester H 6 is said to be of weak intellect. 'He was in Geraldine playing billiards on Wednesday night.