BODY OF A HERMIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 11

BODY OF A HERMIT.

FOUND IN LONELY GULLY.

XING COUNTRY MYSTERY. IDENTITY NOT ESTABLISHED. {By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TE KUITI, this day. Mystery surrounds the discovery "of the remains of a man at Aratoro, ten miles from Te Kuiti, on Sunday afternoon. Two lads, named Williams and Millar, were on an eeling expedition, and they followed a . small track leading down an inaccessible gully of the Mangapehi stream. At the end of it they- were confronted by a hermit's cave, in which lay the dead body of a man.

The father of one of the boys telephoned to the police and the district coroner, Mr. R, M. Somerville, acccompanied by Sergeant Fearnley and Constable Farrell, left early on Monday morning for the scene. They found the remains, which were in an advanced state of decomposition, lying between what had apparently been the man's camp, situated in a small tomo at the foot of a cliff, and the * Mangapeehi Stream, about ten yards from the water's edge. Recognition was impossible. Mirror and Manicure Set. In a crude abode beneath a ledge of rock were found blankets, false teeth, a mirror, a tooth-brush and a manicure set. There was no food and no cooking utensils. Plugs of gelignite were found attached to sticks. They liad evidently been used for killing fish for food.

It is surmised that the man met his death about eight or nine" months ago, and that he was either on his way to the river for water or returning to camp, as a tin was found hanging from his neck by a piece of rope.

The remains were buried near the spot where they were found.

Fugitive from Justice? The district coroner held an inquest at Kopaki on Monday. No evidence tliat would lead to the identification of the body was forthcoming. No one had been reported missing in the district in recent months. The inquest was adjourned sine die.

The opinion is expressed by sonic people that the man was a fugitive from justice.