OPOTOKI TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1926, Page 6

OPOTOKI TRAGEDY

THE ARREST OF SULLIVAN BLOOD-STAINED WHISKY BOTTLER AN AMjEGED CONFESSION. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Opotiki, Deo. 2. Further particulars with regard to the tragedy at Opotiki show that the men, John Sullivan and Jerry Williams, had been working together for the past four months. Both were in town yesterday morning, and were taken to Torere in the afternoon; both were intoxicated. On recipt of the news of tho tragedy tho police hurried to the scene and found Williams dead in the scrub, two chains from where they were dropped. Williams’ head was terribly smashed, and part of his skull was missing. Bloodstained buttles were strewn around, with a full bottle of rum and a full bottle of beer, both bloodstained. Half a dozen heavy sticks were also bloodstained.- Patches of blood on the road indicated that the victim had tii.nt to run away, and had been finally dragged into tho scrub. Sullivan had a bottle of whisky in his hand when arresteil, ami was talking wildly. He is alleged to have Said to Drake, postmaster at Tohere: “Tie killed my mate,” but he denied killing him when arrested. The accused Sullivan was formally 'charged before justieee ifith murdering Williams, and was remanded for a week. Detective McLeod has arrived from Gisborne, and is now filspeetiag the scene of the murder, acompanied by the local police.