THE Kokatau Mystery.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3314, 20 September 1889, Page 2

THE Kokatau Mystery.

Garthim, September 1'

The following farther particulars are to hand in respect to finding the body of the child lost at Kokatau:— The body of the child Thompson, was found precisely at noon to-day, a search party of six persons consisting of Messrs P. Crewe, Kenall, Strang, T. Bowe, and two Misses Howe loft Gladstone at 10 o'clock this morning and commenced searching at top of Carter's hill. The body was found half way from where they commenced looking, and the spot whore the child originally disappeared. It was two and a half miles as the crow flies from where the boy went astray, but the lad to get to the place would probably have to traverse four miles of country to avoid the range, and in order to keep to the track, winch he would probably have followed. Mr Phillip Crewe's collie dog really found the body. It was in a hole in the bed of a creek. The dog commenced to bark and Mr Crewe ran down and saw the much decomposed body, lying on its back, The remains were in such a' state as to render even removal a work of difficulty, the features being entirely disfigured, and, indeed, almost the whole head was gone. The clothes, boots, and socks were on the body, but no hat.

It-is thought that after wandering tho long distance he did, tho boy slipped down the bank, for there is a steep slope, and, exhausted by his efforts ariu b; lli e fall, never moved

The creek was quite dry at the time 4 tho disappearance, and now there is only a foot of water at the spot where the remains were.lyiog. A prpVicnis search party had tra-

versed the adjoining 'creek!not fifty yards distant, and oven .the spot

itself may hive been pasaefl, l as the body -was uptprouainenti anit.but for the dog might again have been overlooked,

The search party from Gladstoue flinch found the body had been in-1 tending to go out for some time past, but the idea waß not absolutely acted until to-day, and' then it resulted' from a conversation Mr Crewe had with its members yesterday. . They were talking about the affair, decided to go out to-day, and now tho mystery is solved.

Friday. The telegraphed account of the finding of the remains of the little boy Thompson, as Bent us yesterday was substantially a correot aocount of the event.

The body was discovered about four chains from Tiffins': trig station, in a deolivity in the Blope of tho hill, It was lying in an attitude of repose. The child was on his right sido, three quarter face downward, and head, resting on the right arm, with legs crossed, He may have strayed down, wearied with exhaustion, and thin

perished with fatigue and oxposuro. Hejwould thuß go to sleep nevor to awaken, The body was left in the water as found until tho polico arrived. It was then removed to the father's house at Kokatan, where an inquest will be held to-day. The funeral takes place on Sunday.. The child will be buried in the Glareville cemetery. A feeling of relief is experienced now that tho body has boen found, although the poor boy's fate has been sad enough without doubt, The termination of the affair, sorrowful as it is, is better than the unsolved and ever unsatisfactory mystery which would have enveloped the occurrence had no trace of tho child been found.