THE MYSTERIOUS CRIME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4289, 1 December 1892, Page 2

THE MYSTERIOUS CRIME.

Avprehension of the Alleged Assailant A Solution Expected. The mystery which enveloped the attempted murder of Mr J. L, Kirk-. A bride as he lay in bed in the small hours of Saturday, is apparently approaching solution. Yesterday afternoon Chiof-Deteotivo Campbell effected the arrest of a man named Albert Thomas, a French polisher, who will bo charged at the Magistrate's Court this morning with the attempted murder of John Law Kirkbride, on the morning of the 27th inst. From the first the police authorities regarded the hammer dropped by Mr Kirkbride's assailant as the only—or at any rate the most probable—clue to tho discovery of the perpetrator of the crime, and so far as the affair has at present gono their supposition has proved correct. On Monday they succeeded in getting the tool identified by two or three people a as having been used by the prisoner, ■< in fact, it had a short handle at one time, which it can be proved he broke, and that he fitted in another himself, His statement, when asked to account for bis movements on Saturday morning was thatV he was out fishing about 5 o'clock thaif morning on the wharf. Asa matter of faot, he was seen down there, as bo states, but that was an hour after the assault was committed. It is stated that Thomas has been out of work for a long time, and when arrested had no money in bis possession. The theory of the police therefore is that be entered Mr Kirkbride's bedroom and on its occupant stirring at the noieo made by the would-be burglar the latter dealt him the blow already described, It is asserted that Thomas had for some time been aware of tho practice of Mr Kirkbride of placing tho latchkey under the mat on the verandah,

The accused is a youug man of slight build, about 20 yours of nge, and considering Mr Kirkbride's dazed condition, he gave the police a wonderfully accurate description of his appearance. His dress has not been mentioned, but we understand that it also coincided with the injured man's description, and the police consider that to the suppression of % this detail is partly due to the capture of the alleged assailant. Had he been made aware thalthe.authorities knew the style of dress he wore he would doubtless have found somo means of changing his attire and getting rid of the incriminating garments. Ho has already made some contradictory statements with rogard to the hammer, but has made no admission as to the perpetration of tlio crime. He has been living in Dixon street, but has no relatives in Wellington, so far as can bo at present ascertained,

In view of tho condition of Mr Kirlibride, who though progressing fairly well, is not yet in a fit stato to give evidence, the police will not proceed with the case to-day, but will ask for a remand.—N, Z. Times,