THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

West Coast Times, Issue 253, 14 July 1866, Page 3

THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

(from the kelson colonist.)

FINDING- OF THE BODY OF JAMES

BATTLE.

DISCOVERY OF THE POISON AND

REVOLVER IN THE WOOD.

The body of James Battle was found last Tuesday, near to the Heringa river, in this province, at the spot indicated by Sullivan in his confession. It was brought into town on Tuesday night. An inquest was held on the body the same evening, and next day the Coroner's Jury returned an open verdict to the effect that James Battle had been wilfully murdered. A report of the proceedings at the inquest appears bfelow. The bottle of poison (strychnine) and the revolver, which was spoken of by Sullivan as having been hidden in a hedge in The Wdod, was found on Tuesday afternoon. Sullivan, accompanied by Mr Shallcrass and Captain Clouston^ went in a cab to the place, with some of the policemen', \vho searched the locality ; but after spending some time, left without discovering the articles. An hour afterwards the poison and the pistol were found by a boy, who had made a search after the police party had gone. The strychnine was in the usual dry form,- in powdery crystals, and there was enough to kill six*y or eighty men in the bottle, which was one of those short round phials with a broad lip ; a large part of •which was broken off apparently by the " prizing" of a knife to take out the stopper. The stopper itself, a cork one, is broken in numerous places, as if small angular bits had been snapped out in the attempts to open it with a knife. It would thus appear that it had been frequently used ; at least repeatedly opened and shut, which of itself implies use. The poison was handed to Dr Cusack, who, to test it with certainty, administered a dose to a dog, which speedily died after exhibiting all the tetanic convulsions which poisoning by strychnine always produces. To the same gentleman various portions of the clothes and swags of the prisoners, containing what appeared to be bloodstains, have been handed over by the authorities in order to be submitted to microscopic examination. The stains having been prepared for scrutiny, showed under the microscope clear evidence that they were blood stains 5 and the minute corpuscles of the blood in the field of the instrument were precisely similar to those of human blood taken for the purpose of more careful comparison, and placed under the microscope. The test is not yet complete, but the scientific evidences prove the stains to be blood stains ; and, judging from the similarity referred to, we should conclude were stains made by human blood. It is said that Burgess has accused Sullivan of having committed many murders in Australia, and that a number of skeletons will be found buried in his garden at Koorong. On the other hand, it is stated that there are persons here who knew Sullivan years ago jin Australia, and who ! describe him as being looked on as a respectable man, but too fond of gambling. Poor old James Battle, who it appears endeavoured to defend himself from the murderers by using his knife, but alas ! without effect against so many, was buried in the same grave that contains the four other victims of this terrible tragedy. The grave is placed in a spot which can be well seen from various parts of the town and the bay ; and it is the intention of the committee to take steps for the erection of a suitable -and conspicuous monument Commemorative of the event and.of the exertions which were made with such promptitude and success to find the bodies, and to capture the suspected murderers.

The Volunteers of the search party yesterday, subscribed L 25 towards erecting a monument over the grave. The prisoners will be brought up on remand, before Mr Poynter on Tuesday next.