MOUNTAIN MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 160, 8 July 1932, Page 5

MOUNTAIN MYSTERY.

HUMAN CKELETON FOUND. BROKEN SKULL REVEALED. MISSING FARMHAND. A grim mountain mystery has been revealed by the finding of the skeleton of a man believed to have been Harry Owens, a farmhand, who mysteriously disappeared from Cumnock, New South Wales, 18 months ago. It is possible that Sydney detectives will be sent to Cumnock to inyestigfite. The skull was found lying yards away from the other bones, and a pair of boots were found standing upright about rive yards away. The skeleton was found in a heavilywooded section of the Condunlbal -Mountains, which a_re about '20 miles northeast of Cumnock. The spot where the skeleton was found is soma miles from where Owens lived. He was engaged in grazing pursuits for some time, and was believed, say the police, to have had considerable means. After Owens disappeared his friends found all his horses harnessed for the day's work. They were found in a paddock close to Owens' home. The discovery was made by a party which had spent the day fox hunting in the Condumbal hills. They did not find the skeleton until just on dusk, when it was impossible for them to make a minute examination of the surroundings. Only portion of a blue shirt was attached to the bones. The rest of the clothing had disappeared. In the pocket of the shirt were a box of matches and a f<N» grains of wheat.

The hunting party returned to Curanock and informed Constables Charlton and Symes of the tragedy. The police motored to the spot, but because of the darkness were unable to do anything." They returned to Cuninock and left again for the mountains next morning, accompanied by .Owens' brother and police from Wellington. The bones will most probably be taken to Wellington pending further police inquiries. The police have no reason to believe that Owens had any enemies. For the present, it is thought that foxes may have moved the skull such a distance from the rest of the bones. Owens had been employed at Baker's Swamp, and after lie had been missing for two days search parties were organised. Although they systematically combed the country and the hills for some weeks, they found no trace of the missing man.