AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1920, Page 5

AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER'S DEATH. INVESTIGATIONS IN SYDNEY. By Tele£rap!i.—Press Assn.—Copyright, Received March 23, 10.15 p.m. Sydney, March 23. The police are investigating the death of Trooper Sim, whose body was found in Auckland harbor. Detectives searched the iluliono on arrival, but were unable io trace the person wanted —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. IS IT MURDER 1 STRANGE HAPPENINGS: ACCUSED AS STOWAWAY. In Saturday's News appeared a brief telegraphic account of a second Auckland sensation, in which interesting developments occurring in connection with the discovery in the harbor of an Australian trooper named Markwick Sim were detailed, Further partipulars now to hand show that the discovery that a £IOO note was missing gave the police a clue. The interment of the body was stopped; a postmortem held; when it was ascertained that the marks on the body and other indications were not inconsistent with the theory that there had becft foul play. STORY AT INQUEST. At the inquest proceedings, conducted at the morgue, by Mr. J. 12. Wilson, SM„ Oscar Paul Fairburn, aged 82 (charged with the theft of the £IOO note), a fellow passenger of the deceased, was the first witness called. He stated that he was a wool-dresser, at present residing at the People's Palace. He was a passenger by the Ulitthrbfi bit' March Sth, and Sim came over with him. He had not known the deceased prior to that. They stayed together at the People's Palace from March S to 11, Sim leaving on the latter date. He had seen the body at the morgue, but it was too far decomposed for him to identify it. Ho could detect a faint resemblance to the man Rim. He had seen the clothes taken from the body, and they were similar to those worn by Sim. The ■watch, pouch, and Australian returned soldier's badge (produced) he had seen in the possession of the deceased. Sim drank a good deal of liquor on the ship. He told witness that he had a brother on a farm somewhere about Brisbane, and that he was a single man. "I do not know what money he had," continued the witness, and 'he added that deceased seemed to him not to be well* balanced mentally. Sim wanted witness to go out in a car with him on the 11th, when he was leaving the People's l'alace, but he refused. DECEASED'S PECULIAR CONDUCT. The next witness, Joseph Benjamin Jlildreth, manager of the People's Palace, deposed that on the Sth Sim booked at the Palace. He was very eccentric, and owing to his behaviour, witness told him on the 11th to get other lodgings. Witness had also seen the body, and had been unable to identify it owing to decomposition. Witness gave evidence as to the similarity of the clothing and the build of the body, and identified the badges. On the morning of the Bth, when Sim booked the room, he tendered a Commonwealth banknote for £IOO, but witness could not change it, and the man said he would wait. Next day and again on the 11th he tendered the note, and witness advised him to go to the Bank of New Zealand to change it. He refused to do so. Subsequently the deceased was in the Palace acting in a very strange manner, and ordering people about. Witness persuaded him to go out, but he returned twenty minutes later with a taxi. Ho then tendered witness an old Bank of New South Wales £1 note in payment of his board, but did not say • whether or not ho changed the '£loo note. Later in the evening he returned and demanded lodging, but was refused. EARLY CALL IN TAXI. Op the morning of the 12th, about 3 o'clock, he again came back and renewed his request, but witness again declined to give him lodgings'. Describing the taxi, witness said it was a light-colored one, driven by a young man. When Sim paid his bill witness saw only the £1 note. Deceased had a light\'olored soldiers' kit-hag and a suit-case which appeared new- The pouch produced was like the one in which he had the £IOO note. Mr. Wilson then adjourned the inquest. STOWAWAY WITH £750. After the inquest proceedings there was a curious development. At the Police Court sitting the previous day it transpired tiiat a stowaway found on tiie Makrra was in possession of a bank draft for £ 750, and when the police went to the bank to make inquiries rcgardjng Sim's £IOO note, it was discovered that a £IOO note at the same bank issue had been paid by the bank five minutes previously as part bank exchange for the stowaway's draft, which he had cashed to pay his fine. The recovery of the note was a simple matter under the circumstances, and further inquiries made by Sergeant Scott led to the arrest of Fairburn. Thereupon the coroner qrdered the stoppage of the inqnoU, and the holiday of a port-mortem examination, with the result already stated. Fairburn is a clean-shaved young man, of medium build. Chief-Detective McMahon says the ease is a peculiar, if not mysterious one, and will require considerable investigation. The detectives and police are busily engaged prosecuting inquiries.