THE RUNANGA TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1917, Page 4

THE RUNANGA TRAGEDY.

MORE ABOUT THE ARREST. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Greymouth,, Nov. 18. Having little or nothing in the waj of identification, the police have beet working behind a maze of clues connect ing with the highway robbery. With regard to the arrest of McMahoU at Christchurch, Detective Ward ha* ha« him under surveillance since Wednesda) last, when he was reported to have said ,in front of the hotel that he possessed an automatic revolver and could fire it rapidly. Next, suspicions were arouMC, when he arrived at the hotel on Satur, day evening, and said he had just com« from Christchurch, and that Ms tuggngt ivas at Blackball. He disappeared from the hotel on Saturday night, and return* ed on Sunday morning with his luggage, and left for Hokitika at midday on Mon< day, taking a special car t« Qtlra, where; he caught the coaches. A search of his room /at, the hotel dun closed the residue of'a candle which waa found in a tin, also a full candle and, half a stick of liquorice with,the state, ment by the suspect that he suffered, from a cold. The suspect is said to have been on the coast months ago. Ha was acting as barman in one of the ho-. tels, from which he and the barmaid disappeared, it was supposed, to be married. He claimed to deal in land and cattle.

Although very little is known as yefl of his antecedents his arrest is considered a big coup for the police; who had a trying and perplexing time. The search in the bush continued all day yesterday, over 120 miners from the State mine assisting. ACCUSED REMANDED. Christchurch, 'Nov. 19. William Eggers MacMahon, who wo* arrested last night in connection* with the highway robbery on the "'West Coast, appeared in court this morning charged with the murder of John Coulthard, with attempting the'murder-ot William Hall and Isaac James, and stealing £3605 10s Bd,

Chief Detective M'Lenny 'asked for aj remand till Saturday, Novombw it, a* Chriatchurch. This was grant'td. | ACCUSED AN AMERIOAN; BARMAID'S NAME ADOPTED. Chriutclmreli, last Night. With regard to the arrest-of the. su» pect in connection with tho .West Coast murder and robbery, it isiinderstood the name of McMahon belongs to the woman. and has been assumed by. ttyj nfon. The woman ig a barmaid at Empire Hotel, where she lias been employ!? undor the name of Lizath •McMflJt&n since shortly before Carnival had been previously employed at several other hotels in Ohristchurch.

Superintendent Dwyer. stated this afternoon that as the reojiU of further police inquiries it has be,6n established that accused's name is Frederick William Eggers. Ho is an American by birtb, having been born in New York, He has been associated with Miss <McMahon for the past four years. The police paid a tribute to tha help rendered them in the afcpM.ensidn of accused by the licensee of the Empire Hotel (Mr. Morgan O'Brien). His sus* picions had been aroused in connection with accused, and he helped effectively in the search. i' ..

Although Eggers described himself as a speculator, he appears to have been engaged as a commercial traveller, selling butter churns, etc., although It has not transpired with which Arm, if any, he was engaged. The licensee of the Empire Hotel expressed the opinion that "there was not a better dressed man in Christchurcli than the accused," adding that "he was a sensible spoken fellow. too." *

McMAHON WATCHES VIbTIWS BUNERAL. -/■<:<■ Greymouth, Nirfjt. Inquiries go to show that Mcsahoa was in town on (Saturday evening, the day after the tragedy. On Sunday he played cards with some young Mjowa, and entered into a discussion of the tragedy. Ho watched the "train caftying the victim to the cemetery, using f, pair of field glasses, from the hotel balcony. Ho complained he had a "head" through "booze" obtained at Blackball, where he alleged ho went for luggage. Telephone inquiries to-day faileof to confirm such a visit, and it is surmised no luggage was there, and that what he brought to the hotel on Sunday morning wai the missing money. Hall's condition has slightly improved. James hopes to be about in the OOurse of a week. ACCUSED KNOWN AT TIMARU. Tiraaru, Last Night. Eggcrs was known to the police-hera in 1!)15 as Eggers. He was supposed to mako a living by selling floor polishes and blacking. He left Timaru with a barmaid, who said she was his wife.