THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

CONFESSION OF ONE OF THE MUEDERERS. JEECOVEEY OF THE BODIES OF THE MUEDEEED MEN. ANOTHEE MUEDEE IN THE PELOEUS VALLEY. CONFESSION TO THE MURDER OF ME. DOBSON. DISCLOSTJEE OF INTENTION TO EOB THE BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AND MTJEDEE THE MANAGES AND CLERKS. OTHEE CEIMES EEVEALED. The mystery that has hung for the past fortnight over the fate of Mathieu, Kempthorne, Dudley, and Pontius, the four men who left Deep Creek, for Nelson, on Tuesday, the 12th instant, and were supposed to have been murdered in crossing the Maungatapu on the following day, is now cleared up. Not a doubt existed from the time they were missed, that they had been foully murdered on the road, and the evidence which, we quickly obtained, indicated clearly where the murders were committed, and who were the murderers. From themoment the facts wereknown,and the persons of the suspected murderers secured, the most strenuous exertions were made to discover the murdered bodies ; and a volunteer party, numbering from 50 to 120 men, in the face of most inclement weather, have prosecuted the search in the most unflagging manner. That success did not attend their efforts is not perhaps much to be wondered at, considering the country, yet a mistake was made from the first, in expecting to find the bodies on the lower side, instead of on the upper side of the road. However, the duties of the search party were yesterday brought to a close, by what we are now about to narrate. On Thursday afternoon, John Joseph Sullivan, the oldest and perhaps the worstlooking of the four prisoners who have for some days been confined in Nelson on suspicion of having been implicated in the recent murders on the Maungatapu (availing himself of the offer made by his Excellency the Governor of a free pardon to any but the actual murderers) voluntarily confessed to his complicity in the deed, and at the same time informed the police that a fifth murder, of which there was then not the slightest suspicion, had also been committed on the road. There can be but little doubt that it is by the merest accident that others, who are known to have been close by at the time, have not shared the same fate. Under an impression that Levy was the least criminal of the party, and that, removed from the proximity of his fellows, confession might be got out of him through the instrumentality of a priest of his religion — he being a Jew — this prisoner was removed from the Lockup to the Gaol, on Wednesday last. When that took place, Sullivan appears to have become suspicious that Levy would be induced to confess, and determining himself to obtain, if possible, the pardon held out by the Governor to an informing accessory, he sent the following morning for SergeantMajor Shallcraes, and laid the actions of the party fully before him. The following are the main facts brought to light : — The four miscreants now in custody, aware of Messrs. Kempthorne, Mathieu, Dudley, and Pontius being on the road to Nelson, took up their position at the spot on the road over the Maungatapu — already mentioned by us as where traces of camp had been found, and a pannikin containing moistened gunpowder. Dividing themselves as the travellers approached, two of them barred their onward progress on the road, and two placed themselves in their rear, so that

when the travellers turned back on being surprised by seeing two armed men in their front, they also found another armed party behind them. To render clear the helpless state in which the poor fellows found themselves, it is necessary to describe a [little more fully the spot where the attack was made. The road is carried by a side-cutting up a steep wooded mountain, the width of the cutting being only about six feet ; the timber is not very large, being chiefly birch, but the wood that has been felled and the soil removed from the track, have been thrown on the lower side, and, lie in coufused heaps, thus rendering an escape on the lower side of the road an impossibility. The only way to have got off the road would have been by the upper side, but a perpendicular bank, varying from three to four feet in height, made escape in that direction difficult, except at a spot where a gully crossed the road, and where the bank did not exist. For the width of half a chain the trees are removed to admit wind and sun to the road, but beyond this the bush is entangled, and would prevent the rapid movement of the strongest man. A more complete trap in which to waylay travellers could not well be imagined. According to Sullivan's story, when the travellers were stopped and made secure, they were marched into the bush on the upper Bide of the road, by Levy, Burgess, and Kelly, while he (Sullivan) took charge of the horse, which he led some way along the road in order, before killing it, to remove it from where the bodies of the murdered men would be left. Just aa he got the horse off the road and shot it, Bown and Muller (the man who was following the travellers to Nelson to take the pack-horse back to Deep Creek) met and spoke to each other a short distance from him. Sullivan thus had no direct participation in the murder, but he says he heard the discharge of six shots. After performing his part of the business, Sullivan went back to join his companions, who in the meantime had murdered the four men — shooting three and strangling a fourth with a scarf. By the account given Sullivan by his companions, one of the poor fellows was hard to kill, and three shots were fired at him. The three murderers represented to Sullivan that they had buried their victims in a pit. The circumstances attending the murder of poor " Old Jamie," were even more horrible than that of the other four men, as there was not the same incentive of gain. The four ruffians were stopping to take refreshments on the road on Tuesday, a little on the Nelson side of the Tinline bridge, when Old Jamie came up, and Sullivan joined him on bis way to Nelson, got into conversation with him, and learnt that he had been employed in grubbing up flax for Mr. "Wilson, of the Pelorus accommodation house, but that, not being able to make satisfactory wages, he was on his way to look out for a ship. Thinking that but little was to be got out of him, Sullivan fell back and gave an opinion to that effect to his companions ; but Levy at once said that if he had his way no living soul should be suffered to pass there, and besides he thought from the appearance of his pocket that he bad money on him. At the wish of the others, Sullivan again went up to the old man, whom he stopped until the others came up. One of the gang, addressing him, said, " Come, old man, you must have some gold." On this Jamie drew his sheath knife, but he was quickly overpowered. Jamie then asked, in a loud tone, if they were going to muider him, and one of the ruffians replied " Yes, unless he kept quiet." Sullivan now went on a little in advance, and another of the party fell back a short distance to keep the road, and Jamie was then dragged into the bush by the other two. In a short time Sullivan heard the discharge of a pistol, and the two murderers quickly afterwards emerged again into the road, with £3 and a little silver, the fruit of their most cold-blooded and villainous deed. This crime was committed in the Province of Maryborough, and the authorities were communicated with by special messenger yesterday, and means taken to discover the body. Towards four in the afternoon of yesterday, the news arrived in Nelson that four of the bodies had been discovered. On the arrival of Mr. Shallcrass this morning, on the Maungatapu, the ground in the direction indicated by Sullivan was searched. About twenty yards on the Nelson side of the rock where the men are supposed to have been stopped, a creek crosses the track falling into the valley below. Mr. Shallerußß and some others ascended the hill near this creek, and then, striking up towards its summit in the direction of Nelson, came upon the bodies, which we believe were first discovered by a constable named Flett. The bodies were lying at about twenty or five-and-twenty yards apart, aud were about two hundred and fifty yards from the track. The first one which was discovered was that of Mathieu. His legs were strapped together and his hands tied by his side. On the right side of the body there was a wound, which as yet it is difficult to say whether it was caused by a bullet or a sharp instrument. A little farther on lay the body of Dudley, who from all appearances had been strangled ; farther on still, Kempthorne was found with a bullet-hole through his right ear. His body was lying under a tree which had been blown down. Pontius' body was also found hard by, with a shot through the side of his head. All the bodies are in such a state of preservation as to be easily identified. No attempt appears to have been made to conceal them. On one, some boulders rested, but it appeared they had been placed there with the intention of extinguishing any life that may have remained in the unfortunate man, and not in order to conceal the body. • Towards seven o'clock in the evening, crowds of people left Nelson, and ascended the right bank of the Maitai, in order to obtain a view of the bodies as they neared the town. Anxious inquiries were made of the various straggling horsemen who crossed the river at the ford a little below the Rifle Practising Ground, as to when the dray in which the bodies were borne for

the last five milea of the journey, would appear in sight. At last the news was brought that it had passed the Almond Tree, and about half an hour afterward* the lights of the party in charge appeared in night on the opposite bank of the river, and in a few minutes the moon showed the dray with its ffhastly burden drawn by three bullocks crossing the stream. It was escorted by horsemen, whilst a large body of men, for the most part the Volunteer party under Mr. Saxton brought up the rear. On the right bank the party were formed into something like order behind the dray, which slowly proceeded towards town, crossing the river for the last time close to the Bridge-street bridge. Crowds of people joined the procession at all points till, on arriving at the gate of the Government buildings, the crowd amounted to several hundreds. After admitting the greater part, the gates were closed, and the dray proceeded round the buildings — passing close to where two of the guilty men still lie secured, and to whom the sounds of the murmuring crowd, and the creak of the wheela, may probably have suggested that the bodies of the murdered men had been brought buck to bear witness against them — and drew up at the new engine-house, where the four corpses, swathed in the slings in which they had been carried a portion of the distance, were deposited. This morning the inquest takes place at the Provincial Hall, when a verdict will be given, inculpating four of the most diabolical murderers with whom a country has ever been cursed. The confession made by Sullivan is not confined to the murder on the Maungatapu and that of old Jamie near to the Tinline bridge. He has given information that is likely to bring to justice a gang of the greatest scoundrels that can possibly infest a civilized country. He has disclosed that Kelly, one of the present gang, and another man, well known both in Nelson and at Grey mouth, were concerned in the murder of Mr. G. Dobson, and has given full particulars of the whole affair, and directed where the body may be found. The facts of this murder are just what bad been surmised. The party bad planned the murder of Fox, the gold-buyer, who took his passage down the Grey by water, while Mr. Dobson was found travelling the road which Mr. Fox was to have passed, was mistaken for him, and murdered by Kelly — Sullivan in this, as in other cases, acting as scout. The third party concerned in this murder may now be mentioned with impunity, as the particulars have been telegraphed to the Grey — it was the man "Wileon, who, a few months since, acted as bellman in Nelson, and who has served six months in our gaol for a small theft. From Sullivan's recent arrival in New Zealand, which took place only some time in April last, his personal knowledge of the crimes that have been committed by the gang he associated himself with did not extend far, but he appears to have acquired their confidence, and become acquainted with many of their previous villanieß. From the disclosures Sullivan has made, there is ground to hope the complete gang will be broken up in New Zealand, and we trust that some of those may be reached who have escaped to Australia. He is well acquainted with one of the men who robbed Mr. Walmsley, and who is now in Melbourne, where he is well known ; and, still more important, he has given information which may lead to the capture of the men lately engaged in the Bank robbery at Okarita, one of the accompliceti in which is a person holding a place of trust at Hokitika. As full information respecting these disclosures have been forwarded to Hokitika by telegram, the preserving silence in order that the ends of justice might not be frustrated, is no longer necessary. Another and, if possible, more diabolical outrage then any we have yet spoken of, has been nipped by the apprehension of these men, the particulars of which have been disclosed by Sullivan. It appears that, emboldened by past success and the impunity with which they carried on their crimes, they bad planed the following : — Levy had visited tbe Bank of New South Wales to dispose of a small portion of the gold taken from the murdered men from Deep Creek (tbe stolen gold was divided amongst the murderers, and Bold by them in small parcels at the different banks), and he at once concocted a plan of murdering all the inmates of that establishment and robbing the bank. The bank was subsequently visited by each of the men in succession, on one pretext or another, and they all concurred in the feasibility of the scheme. It was therefore agreed that Levy should proceed by the first opportunity to Melbourne, to procure the necessary disguises, and some further accomplices, and that Kelly, Sullivan, and Burgess shoulc meantime reside apart in the neighbourhooc of Nelson, takiug every opportunity ol acquiring local information that might hereafter be useful. The plan of murder am rubbery was this : That when all theii plans were ready, one of the gang, well di eased for the occasion, Bhould gain ac cess to the manager in his private room, jus before closing, while others of the ganj should be in the Bauk on pretext of business and, suddenly closing the door, when doinj so would not excite suspicion outside, over power the clerks, and murder all within in i manner which would give no alarm with out. If this horrible scheme had succeeded these ruffians calculated, by timing it property they might have got away by a Bteamer be fore the crime was discovered. It is impossible to say what degree c credit is to be attached to all these state meuts of Sullivan, but we shall soon lean how far his stories are true which implicat the men he has accused of crime at the Wes Coast. He has written a letter to his wife who with his family, he says, resides at Moun Koorong, Victoria. His story is, that he ha been known there for a great number of yean as leading an honest life, and that he only fel into crime on his arrival at Hokitika, wher be fell into distress, which brought him ac quaintcd with Levy, who led him awaj

This does not appear a very feasible story, J although the letter he has written gives a colour to it. He says that since he fell into the hsudrt of this gang, he has been kept so strictly in view by his confederates, that he has never been able to escape from their .clutches ; and he firmly believes that one member of the gang, of whom the others stood in fear, has been made away with on the West Coast. Yesterday morning, a deputation from the Sparch Committee waited on the Resident Magistrate, and presented him with the following address : — Sir — In compliance with a resolution passed unanimously at a meeting of the Search Committee, held lust night, we have the honour to wait upon your Worship as Resident Magistrate of this city. As the four men now in confinement on the charge of murder are known to be no ordiuary criminals, and to have gained some notoriety as prisonbreakers, the committee feel anxious that every precaution, however apparently unnecessary, should be taken to insure their safe custody ; and as it is not improbable that they may have . confederates who would be wiling to assist in the most desperate measures to effect their release, the committee feel that such a casualty should be so provided against as to render it impossible. From the well-known courage and determination of the men in whose charge they now are, the committee feel confident that from within there is no cause for fear, but to guard against surprise or incendiarism from without, the committee, being aware of the insufficient number of police for any extra duty, would, with your Worship's leave, respectfully suggest that the places where the prisoners are confined should be strongly and continually guarded by extra constables, or trusty Volunteers, until the law has taken its full course. The committee would also respectfully submit, that during the detention of any of the prisoners in the Lockup, all approaches to the block of Government Buildings be kept strictly guarded, in addition to an extra guard in the immediate neighbourhood of the exterior of the cells, and that special constables be sworn in to assist in protecting the town. The committee beg leave to offer their services for any of thcße duties, and are prepared to make themselves useful in any way your Worship may point. George Williams, Chairman of Search Committee. The reply which was given was, that every means were being taken to render the escape of the prisoners next to impossible, and that it was the intention of the authorities to swear in special constables for the purpose of aiding the police force in their duty. The Magistrate said that if the committee would name any persons who were willing to serve as such, he would at once swear them in. The Nelaon gaol, which is scarcely secure against the daring attempts at escape which such men as the prisoners are likely to make if the slightest chance of success offered itself, has been strengthened in order to render it impossible to break out. Four cells have been prepared, cased inside with strong iron, which canuot easily be broken through. Two of these cells are now occupied by the prisoners Levy and Sullivan ; and Burgess and Kelly will be removed from the lock-up, and will fill the remaining two on Monday next. These precautions, however, are not all ; one of the ordinary prisoners in the gaol will sleep in each of their cells, which, in addition, will be guarded from without. Notwithstanding that the chance of these criminals' escape is rendered extremely remote, it is to be hoped that the province will not long have the anxiety of keeping them in safe custody, and that the General Government will be memorialized to allow a special session of the Supreme Court to be held, in order that the prisoners may be at once brought to trial.