A MELBOURNE SENSATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 216, 11 September 1911, Page 2

A MELBOURNE SENSATION.

WHERE IS MABY BAVIES 1 SEARCH OF THE POLICE. CHARRED REMAINS OF BELONGINGS. Neither week end nor Sabbath saw any abatement in the ardour of the detectives engaged in the quest foT the 'body of Mary Margaret Da vies, the woman whom Mr. Samuel M. P. Peacock, surgeon, stands charged with 'having murdered, says the "Mel-bourne Age" of Monday last. Slather the days witnessed a resuscitation of interest that is sensational in its character. Deflected from the house in Wellington-parade, the main thread of inquiry lias 'been wound round a little farm 20 miles from Melbourne. It is there that detectives, black 'trackers and bloodhounds have lately been, and are still, working with zeal to follow to their .logical conclusions the deductions borne, correctly or otherwise, of the many and close Scrutinies made at the hospital where a tragedy is believed to have been enacted. In the early hours of Saturday, ithci grey bearded form of Dr. Peacock was to be seen at the ticket office of the railway station. When he had left the window, five "shadowers" each took tickets to the same station. It was Carrinn, twenty miles from Melbourne, where Dr. Peacock has a farm. Of course 'the word was Hashed by telephone to the detective office, where waiting detectives set in ■motion certain intentioned designs based on this information. It has already been told how Detective Coo nan, who has preferred this charge against Dr. Peacock, has been pursuing a line of investigation, the publication of which would 'have endangered its fruition. But the happenings of the -last 'few days have shown what lie Tias had in his mind. Eearly yesterday morning, Detective Smythe left Melbourne for Carrum to join those already theTO with black trackers and bloodhounds, and, as lie was soon to be accompanied 'by a man obviously from the country, it was evident that this officer was sent with a guide of an important character. Throughout Saturday and Sunday Detectives Clugston and Bear, aided by black trackers under the direction of Senior-Constable Faulkner, and accompanied by some 40 or 50 residents of the locality, searched the ground of the 200acro farm owned by Dr. Peacock. At the end of about twelve hours' search the police lighted upon tiie remains of a fire. Among the ashes they came upon the remains of four false teeth, the stamped silver clasp and decorations of a purse, 17 buttons from a costume, pieces of a suspender, of a pair of gloves, shoes, hair pins, and safety pins. These were taken, -with a. lot af asbes and soil, to a still pool near at hand, and there the collection was sifted. T.hcy were sent in charge of two of the detectives last night to Superintendent Gleeson, and by him submitted to an examination by the father of the missing -womay and two of her sisters. The three asserted their strong conviction that the articles were the remains of those which had belonged to Miss Davies. Each article corresponded to an article -that she was known to have possessed, even to the buttons and the dress and safety pins. A'bout eight years ago, in Balarat, Miss Davies had had an amalgam plate fitted with four false teeth by a dentist, who as to be brought to Melbourne in order to sec if he can identify the relics of what may, or may not, be bis work. The property at Carrum, which is cultivated, is under the charge of an old man, and is about a quarter of a mile from the sea. There is a two-roomed hut on itfi where residents say that 'the doctor was in the habit of staying when visiting there, and it was from this base that the place was worked. They received from several witnesses on Saturday and Sunday definite statements that when Dr. Peacock arrived in Carrum by fho first train on Saturday he made inquiries in connection -with what the detectives were doing in Carrum, and then went back to Melbourne. The spot where this find was made is set in undulating country, across which it is difficult to sec for any distance. But the person who brought the police to it asserts that he was in the neighbourhood at the time. The search will be continued by as many of the police as can be spared to visit the farm lands. Further, dogs are to be taken down by Constable MafTerzioni, who lias specially trained pointers. Owing to the rains the prosecution c 7 the search has been made exceedingly difficult, but the excitement aroused by the discovery is at white heat.