THE SALCOT TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3756, 17 March 1891, Page 2

THE SALCOT TRAGEDY.

An extraordinary and terrible murder came to light on Christmas eve at Salcot, a quiet little Esses village between the estuaries ot the Golno and the Blackwater, the victim being a retired farmer namea Josepl Leatherdale, who for some years pasl had resided at Ivy cottage, Salcot, in company with a youth of seventeer named Arthur Leatherdale, a nephew whom Mr Leatherdale had adopted at his son. The homestead in which the two lived is situated in a lonelv neighbourhood, and this will probablj account for the murder not being dis covered earlier. On Saturday Mi Leatherdale mysteriously disappeared from the village and the same evening the lad, who during the day hac driven to Colchester and made severa purchases, asked Mrs Moss, a neigh' bour, if he might be allowed to sleep with her son, as be felt nervous at sleeping at Ivy cottage alone. . He saic that his uncle had gone for a holiday Mrs Moss declined to grant his request saying that old Mr Leatherdale raighl not like it. She, however, agreed tc allow young Leatherdale to board witt her for a few days. On Tuesdaj night a daughter of Mr Leatherdale becoming aware of her father's absenci grew anxious, and called at Mrs Mods. She there saw young Leatherdali and asked him whether he had heard anything of his uncle. He changed colour and replied, "I have had i letter." The daughter remarked "I wish I knew where he is," and young Leatherdala said "So do I.' He then leaned his head on his hand, and said he could not eat hit tea. Suspicion was now aroused and a constable, accompanied by Mi Arthur Smith, miller, and Mr Charles Smith, a farmer, requested the youtr to accompany them to Ivy cottage He readily consented, and the partj went and searched the house, In th< kitchen the door of a cupboard underneath the stairs was noticed to be barricaded with a wooden bench, on the removal of which the dea< body of Mr Leatherdale was dis covered, decomposition having a I read j set in. The head was enveloped in t sack, and had been pushed under neath the stairs, while tho legs won doubled up at the other end of the cupboard. The sack was saturated with blood. A halter was fouuc twisted around the unfortunate.man'i nock. Two guns were found in the kitchen. On young Leatherdale beinf searched a numbor of percussion caps which fitted one of the guns, wen found in his pockets.