FOUR MURDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 13

FOUR MURDERS.

fi CRIMES IN N.S.W. WOMAN DEAD \U STREET, HUSBAND ARRESTED. MYSTERY SHOOTING ON HOLIDAY NIGHT. TKAGIG SEQUEL TO DIVORCE FEUD. SYDNEY, October 11. Four murders were committed in New South Wales during the week as a result of which a woman and three men are dead. One of the most shocking crimes ever committed in the Goulburn district was discovered on Friday night when police found the body of Mrs. Colin Furney (35)j at *< ue intersection-of .Bradley and Goulburn Streets, Goulburn. There were terrible injuries in the back and chest, and a broken bottle lying alonside ' her was bloodstained. t The streets were deserted at the time and though several residents nearby were questioned they could throw no light on the manner of Mrs. Furney's death. Later, however, police went to her home and questioned her husband and following a statement which he made, he was Charged with murder. A post-mortem examination of the wounds in the •woman's body disclosed that they had been inflicted with a knife. The police took possession of a knife found in the bedroom occupied by Furney at his home.

Killed in Gang Fight. A particularly callous crime and one which is baffling the police is the murder of Leslie Whatley (30), who was shot dead in a lane off Reservoir Street, late on Eight Hours Day (Monday).

Whatley was shot by a man late on Monday night and he died after two -operations performed Immediately afterwards had failed to locate the bullets which were believed to be buried in the groin and etomach. By piecing together ecraps of information they have received, the police have been able to reconstruct some of the events which led up to the shooting. Whatley accompanied his brother, William Albert Whatley, and a man named John Harvey to the races at Hand wick on Monday. Later they roamed about the city together and met several friends with whom they conversed for brief periods.

During the night the three men wandered into' Surry Hills, which is a dan-ger-zone for strangers at any time, and especially at week-ends and on holidays. ;jThey came into conflict with many gangs, the police believe, and there were heated arguments over bottles of beer. Towards midnight, the Whatley brothers and Harivey met friends from the same suburb, land the men, now numbering about six, I all reputable men, were walking along ■i Elizabeth Street towards the tram stop, I where they were to board a homeward Abound tram, when they Were: accosted two men. The two strangers walked Viip to Leslie Whatley and another man "and demanded a bottle of beer. An argument ensued and the strangers suddenly 'xan away, pursued by the Whatley brothere and their friends. As' one of the men turned into a lane running off Elizabeth and Reservoir Streets, he turned, and drawing a revolver, fired four shots at Whatley. Two of them took effect and he sank on to the footpath. Whatley's companions stopped to attend to him and while they did so, the two grangers disappeared in the laneway. Later-when the police questioned the inen who were with Whatley they could not get any accurate description of the two strangers, all the men stating that they did not see the two men closely. Many suspects have been questioned by the posse of detectives engaged on the case, but up to .the present the police ihave made no headway.

Co-respondent Shoots Husband. At Gloucester, a small town about 30 miles north of Newcastle, James Curran, a well-known grazier, was shot dead in a sensational gun and revolver duel. Lawrence Edwards, a neighbour of Curran and also well-known in the district, has given himself up to the police and is alleged to have made a statement confessing to the murder. History of the case dates back about six months, at which time Curran sued hia wife for divorce naming Edwards as: the' co-respondent. Evidence given at the Divorce Court by Curran was that his wife had confessed to having had three children by Edwards while Curran was absent, at different times in Sydney on business. In addition, Curran- said in his evidence, money which he had sent home to support his wife had .been handed by her to Edwards and used by him to pay off debts. Curran was granted his divorce and since thea has been living in a hut on hie property, while his wife has been occupying the main residence. Edwards' .farm was about five miles ■sway across . rough country. In his statement to the police Edwards is 'alleged to have stated that Curran challenged him to a duel to the death and appointed a level paddock in the hills near Edwards' home as the deciding place of the feud, which has been waged -between the two men since the divorce proceedings. Edwards said that Curran appointed shotguns and revolvers as the weapons and set the time for the meeting, on Wednesday night. Details of the actual shooting are vague, but two wood cutters, near whose hut the shooting took place, have told the police that they saw the two men meet, then followed a shot and'Curran fell to the ground with his. head chattered. Edwards then walked seven miles to the police station and gave himself up. Later Curran's body was brought into the town morgue and Edwards was charged with murder. A remarkable feature associated with the crime is that two years ago Mies Eva Novak, the American film star, chose the district round the properties of Curran and Edwards in which _ to stage an Australian movie play entitled "Hills of Hate," and many of the scenes were taken on the levelpatch of ground where the shooting on Wednesday mgnt took place. It was one of the few level patches of country in the district and only a few yards away the moving picture company had erected a movie hotel which .in the play wae called the "Bloodwood Inn." It was in this shelter that the two wood cutters, who were the onlv witnesses of the shooting, were sleeping when they heard the men quarrelling. The inquest will be held on Saturday and intense public interest is being ehown in the proceedings, as botn Edwards and the victim of the crime, Ourran, were well know*figures Hi the district, ''