MURDER CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 7

MURDER CHARGE.

LAKE COLERIDGE CASE.

RICHARD COCKBURN'S DEATH

YOUNG MAN FOUND SHOT

BY ROADSIDE.

REMAND IN CHRISTCHURCH,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day.

A dramatic sequel to the death under circumstances of violence of the young farm hand, Robert Allen Cockburn, near Lake Coleridge, on Wednesday, was the appearance before Mr. E. D. Mosley in Christchurch this morning of Alfred James Stanley Colenso, aged 32, charged with that at Lake Coleridge on September 3 he murdered Richard John Cockburn. Arthur Edward Farquharson, aged 57, was charged with that on September 4, at Cass, he was idle and disorderly. Both were described as farm labourers, having no fixed abode. They were remanded to September 12 on the application of the police. There was a large crowd at the Courthouse %hen« the two men appeared. Colenso was the first to be ushered from the van. He stepped down holding his head, high. He was collarless but clean shaven. His coat and trousers were creased as though they had been slept in. Hβ was closely accompanied to the cells by two constables. Farquharson, an old-looking man, with bowed head, walked in Colenso's rear to the cells. His age was given on the charge-sheet as 57, but this morning he would have l passed as ten years older. He also was collarless, and his tousled hair and drooping moustache gave him an unkempt appearance.

Robert Allen Cockburn -was found dead by the roadside by Mr. F. Langbein, engineer of the Public Works Department, Christchurch. At first it was thought the injury to Cockburn's chest had been accidentally caused, but examination revealed a shot-gun wound, and the story of Colin Stuart, a truck driver, indicated that Cockburn was murdered. No gun was found. A large party of police, under Detective-Sergeant J. B. Young, of Christchurch, commenced a search, with the result that Colenso and Farquharson were arrested on the road just this side of Cass shortly after four o'clock yesterday afternoon by Detective-Sergeant Young and a posse of detectives. The two men offered no resistance. They were taken to Christchurch by car, where they arrived at about 8.30 p.m.