STORE MURDER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 252, 6 August 1941, Page 6

STORE MURDER

ROBBERY APPARENT MOTIVE. RECONSTRUCTION. OF ATTACK STAINED AXE NEAR fHE BODY (P A.) WANGANUI, This Day, Robbery was apparently the motive for the murder yesterday of Mr Arthur Hardings Parkinson, the Waitotara storekeeper, aged 78. The police found the safe in the office open and the keys Were missing. A large sum of money was stolen as were the shop books.

A stained axe was found near the body, which leads to the theory that Mr Parkinson was still alive after having been dragged into the passage at the back of the shop where the body was found, and that the axe wds used to kill him. There was a big wound in his neck.

Lights were seen in the shop up to about 10.30 on Monday night. Mr Par•kiiison had often opened the front door at night to callers, and when working in the shop could easily be seen through two large Windows facing Station Road. There seems little doubt that he responded to a knock on the front door and having -gone to answer it was struck on the forehead with some heavy instrument and fell near the dodr. Some bottles of motor car oil Which Were exhibited outside the shop near the petrol pump in daytime were brought into the shop and stood near the front door at night. Some of these were knocked over, probably through Mr Parkinson falling on them or in the scuffle There were also bloodstains near the bottles.

The body was then apparently dragged past the grocery counter as bloodstains were found on the floor about half way along the counter. There was also a large pool of blood on the floor in a narrow passage near the back door where the body was found. A post-mortem examination was made in the store yesterday by Dr. P. P. Lynch-, pathologist, of the body. The body was later brought to Wanganui. The inquest to-day was adjourned sine die after evidence' of identification had been heard.