THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER. CAFFREY BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. REPORTED ARREST OF PENN. THE MURDERER'S STATEMENT BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. Penn's Paramour Brought on Board Against Her Will. PENN AND LIZZIE GRAHAM REPORTED DROWNED.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2224, 9 October 1886, Page 2

THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER. CAFFREY BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. REPORTED ARREST OF PENN. THE MURDERER'S STATEMENT BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE. Perm's Paramour Brought on Board Against Her Will. PENN AND LIZZIE GRAHAM REPORTED DROWNED.

For the following we are indebted to th© Herald :- Sydney, October 7. The prisoner, John Caffrey, who is oharged with the murder of Robert Taylor, at Tryphena Harbour, Great Barrier Island, on the 19th June, and who was arrested at Fernm»unt, a small town on the Bellinger River, was brought up on remand before the Magistrate at Boat Harbour, the principal town of the district, on Tuesday. The arrest of the chief actor in a crime of so tiagic a ehaiacter, and invented with so many novel elements, ha^ naturally excited intense interest throughout the dibtiict, and the Police Court was densely crowded. The prisoner was brought to Boat Harbour tn charge of Policc-con&table May, who appiehended him at Fernmonnt. His appearance at that place, following so quickly upon the discovery of the wreck of the Soveicign of the Seas, which had revived the story of the tenible crime at the ( Jreat Barrier, New Zealand, routed the suspicions of the loc.il constable, who, comparing the stranger with the printed description of the murderer* issued by the Auckland police, felt satisfied that he wad Caffrey, and forthwith arrested him. When examined at the police station it was found that, although beating the marks described in the police notice— a scar on the left eyebrow, a star tattooed on light forearm, and an anchor on left arm— he had other tattoo marks not mentioned in the police description, notably the figure of a woman upon his bre.it-t. When ariested the prisoner denied all knowledge of the murder, and of New Zealand. He said nib name was Joe Adams, and that he was .1 swags man in search of wotk. On his lodgings being searched a s\v.ig w.is found, containing, among other uticlo, a revolver and blick flig. The police authorities at Sydney wore immediately communicated with, and they f.Kwajih'd a ph,>to;jiaph of Caffiey which they had in then posv^ion, and which was, unmistakoably, the likeness of the pri.-onei. When confronted with this evidence ho acknowledged his indentity, and made a full confession of his guilt to Constable May. After narrating the particulars of the murder, ho continued :—: — " We cleared one of New Ze il md in the cuttoi Sovereign of thvi Seas, and made for the coast of America. We unc mntered simeseveie gal's, and had to lay-to four day*. " Finding it imp- hmMc t<> read) America, we made for Australia, and, aftoi betng tlnee months at sja, we sighted land near Bii.slnne. " Vv'e then m.vie down the coast for ! Sydney ; but finding it too hi-t there [meaning to .say too many .ship-> about], we then made back fi>i < 'ueen^lanrl. •' The vessel w ,>s leaky and in a sinking state, and we had t > in ike for the shore the Ivst w ay we cou'd. " I succh- 1 i-M in landing things in the dingy wliicli wo had with us, and then went lvclv to the vessel for Penu and the woman. " When landing the dingy capsized and threw us all into the surf. I was washed ashore, but Perm and the woman were drowned, it being daik at the time. I ne\cr s >w smht of them after. " I n mained where I landed until the second day, but could not im<l ;my tiace of them. " It is now between three and four weeks ago since it happened, and the place was the first point math of Port Macqunrne. " The female was Perm's paiamonr, and her name was Lizzie (Jraham. She was about L'O years of age, and was bi ought on board against her will, and on the voyage she fretted very much. " Wo encountered a graat many gales, and at one time would not have given much for our chance. "We sighted several vessels, but always kept out ot their way, and never spoko to a vessel the whole time we weie at sea. "We had plenty of provisions, but ran shoit of watei, but were successful in catching some from the rain that fell. "The ve&sel belongs to Henderson and Spr«iggon, *f Auckland, and I was master of her. "The woman has relations in New Zealand ; so has Perm, who is a married man. *' I am a single man, and native of New Zealand." At the Police Court Caffrey acknowledged his guilt, and the correctness* of the statement which he had made to Constable May, and which was read in court. The prisoner was then remanded pending the arrival of a police officer from New Zealand with the necessary extradition papers.