TRAGIC MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1920, Page 4

TRAGIC MURDER.

FARMER SHOT DEAD, CRIME IN THE MOONUOfiT, KILLED WHILE ASLEEP. News was received in New yesterday of the shocking murder of a well-known resident of the Pukekawa district, near Tuakau, on the western Bide of Mercer, the victim being Mr. Sidney Seymour Eyre, brother of Mr. R. B. D. Eyre, Collector of Customs at New Plymouth. Mr. Eyre's first news simply told him of his brother's death, but later in. the day the tragic circumstances were revealed. The victim is a married man, 45 yean of age, and was a successful grarier at Pukekawa, where he lived With his wife ■»nd family. He wag at one time a member of the Raglan County Council In 1017 he was in America on a trip, and, crossing into Canada, he joined the. Canadian Highlanders, serving trift them till the end of the war. The tragedy is told in the following Press Association message from Auekland:— - ■ . ■ Auckland, Last Night. Mr. Eyre, retired with his family last night at 9 o'clock, and three bouts later had his head almost blown off by a shot gun. From the first particulars received, of the tragedy it appears that Mr. and Mrs. Eyre and their family of tfte ohtldren, the eldest of whom is a boy of la years, retired for the night shortly after 9 o'clock, the husband and wile occupying different b,eds in the same room. Mr. Eyre was a returned soldier, having served at the front lor about two years, and since his return it had been his custom to sleep near the window, which he kept wide open for health reasons.

About midnight Mm. Bvrt w|« startled from her sleep by titi sound of an explosion, and looking towardt her husband, she cried out to know what was the matter. No reply camt, but in the moonlight that was Altering into the room she saw something strange in his position and appearance, and hastily striking a light, her honorstricken eyes met a ghastly spectacle. The body of her husband lay in bed drenched with/-Mood, the upper p»H of the head being blown off. The dTitraoted woman heard no sound without, uti saw no one, but realised that bn huaband must have been fired at While asleep by someone standing just outside the open window, the glass o!f which was shattered by the shock of tie explosion. I ■ ■ :1f

The noise of the shot' alio awakuwd the children, and the two elder bpya' were sent by ttfelr mother to fSe Puke. | kawa post office, whence an urgent ansamons reached Sergeant Cowan and Dr.' Wake, of Pukekohe, about 1 a.ta. No time was lost in setting out' for the scene of the tragedy, and at 4 o'clock Constable Thompson, of Tuakau, wtl picked up, and the party proceeded t* i'ukekawa. < So far as can he ascertained} the victim, who was a man of a vary kihdljr disposition and highly respected, had bo enemies, and the motive for the das-. tardly not presented a mystery to all', who knew him. The perpetrator of the crime, however, was evidently acquainted' with Mr, Eyre's custom 'of aleepinj under the open window, and chose a night when there was sufficient Moonlight to enable him to carry out his coldblooded purpose with precision. .[ The nature of the wound showed that a shot-gun had been used for the muxder, and the indications were that ithad been actually rested on tile Wi«i» dow sill when fired. ....<■