THE NEW BRIGHTON MYSTERY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1756, 28 June 1888, Page 2

THE NEW BRIGHTON MYSTERY.

.Yesterday’s Press pays A close examination of the human remains found dunog, the past two days on the New Brighton Beach shows even to an unscientific mind that they hare been in the water, or, rather, buried in the sand, for a considerable time. It is, therefore, in every way probable that they are part of the remains of Charles Matthews, who was a passenger by the ketch Clematis at the time that vessel was stranded on June 16ib, 1387, on the beach just opposite where the legs were found... It will be remembered the vessel was forced ashore through stress of weather during the darkness about I a.ra.j on the date mentioned. Captain Green had a narrow escape for his life, and out of the crew. Henry Boss, the mate, was drowned, jaa well as the passenger Matthews, The mate's body was found neat' the wreck within a tew 'lays after, but nothing has aver been seen or heard of Matthews or his remain*. It is quite possible for the body to have remained buried in the sand, and that tha recent heavy seas have washed out the parts found. No description was ever given of the man Matthews, and a week after the wreck the aearch for the body Waa given up. The survivors of the accident were Captain Green, J. Gardiner, 8. Gaorgensoo, and G.Neileeo. front whom probably some description of Mattliewa could be obtained.

Constable Cleary, who was ’ despatched to New Brighton yesterday, under instr uctions to search the beach, returned in the evening with a parcel of <tiecove r ed article*, few of which, perhaps, are in any way connected with the body 10 which the recovered legs belong. The exceptions are a pair of brown tweed trousers and a pair of fl mnel drawers, each as are worn by many men,. and a pair of oilskin leg-, ginga and brown tweed trousers, a short colored nliirt, apparently ah under-shirt, a number of email bones, and a single garment of a lady’s light apparel The latter, f'om its appearance, had evidently been need in bathing; 1 and discarded when the bathing season was over. Of the bones very little can be said. : They are a peculiar lot, soma dirty and some clean ; none with a particle of floshon them, and several showing unmistakeable signs of decay. It i* doubtful if any correspond with those first placed in. the morgue, fhe idea, when the remains were first found, that the police were being hoaxed has disappeared before the plain evidence of •he death of eome unfortunate fellow, and the question for solid ion ia now whose remains are they. All the fatal hosting, accidents which have happened within the last twelve months have been discussed, and the probabilities of bodies being carried opposite to New Brighton. The wreck of the Clematis seems now to be the only feasible (solution of the difficulty, and that the larger bones are.,a portion of the skeleton of the mao Matthews,' whose body hoi never been found. None now seem to think that the remains are those of the escaped conrct Rpberts, and if the statement, of a bootmaker be true, it is highly probable that the owner of the boots came from Wellington, The boots have been recognised as similar to those made at Staples’ factory at Wellington, and the brand of the figure 8 is said to be undoubtedly that factory’s.