MURDER ON THE RACECOURSE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12634, 23 October 1905, Page 5

MURDER ON THE RACECOURSE.

AS SEEN BY A TRUTHFUL YOUTH

Wanganui possesses,a boy who, if he live" and diligently- /develop his talent, should pluck the laurels from the brows of De Roiigemont and Baron. Munchaueen. He is doing very nicely now, at the age of ten years, and has earned the kind wishes of the .police -force. That he a-ichly deserves the affection of the police will bY admitted by all who road the story of his doings on Saturday last. Between 2 and and 3 on Saturday afternoon a youngster rushed breathlessly to the residence of Mr G. N. Liffiton and told how he.'had seen a man killed in the agricultural elied at the racecourse.-,.- While looking through the door die had seen .two men quarrelling about a bottle of beer. Prom words the men 'had gone to blows, and a proper, set-to had followed. One man had become exhausted and fallen to the floor, whereupon the other had savagely kicked him on the head till blood was flowing in a large stream. After this the man on 'the floor had lain quiet, and the boy, thinking he must be dead, had (rushed' off to (inform Mr Liffiton. Mr Liffiton, on hearing the tale which the youth unfolded, rang up the Police Station, but, receiving no answer, drove in ibis trap to the station and reported the matter to the police. In a very short time a detective, a sergeant, and two constables were on the racecourse, but, search as they would, they could find no bottle , no blood, no dead man. They searched t(he racecourse, but no sign of a tragedy 'could be found. The boy was seen and questioned about the affair and he stated that after informing Mr Liffiton ihe went back to the shed, but could not see the body of the man. What had 'become of it? He did not know. Perhaps the other man had buried it, or perhaps the dead man had been taken to the hospital! _ The hospital was rung up, but no injured man ihad been taken there. The police "had their doubts," but the boy related such a circumstantial story, and stuck to it determinedly. Yesterday morning the detective and sergeant took the boy to the shed and asked 'him to point out where he 'had seen the blood, but he could not do so. Hints about seeing his grandmother then brought out the confession that the efcory was a fabrication so far as seeing the blood was concerned. Gradually he retreated from the position he (had taken up, but still declared that he 'had seen two men fighting. In view of the boy's proved veracity his final contention must certainly be believed.