TATTOOED ARM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 112, 14 May 1935, Page 5

TATTOOED ARM.

DISGORGED BY SHARK.

GRUESOME SYDNEY MYSTERY.

IDENTIFICATION QUESTION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 9. One day about three weeks ago Mr. Bert Hobson, well known as the proprietor of the Coogee Aquarium Baths, eet out with his boy Ron in a small boat to do a little fishing. They anchored about a mile and a half from Coogee Beach, and set their lines for shark. Hobson soon had a bite, and struck his fish, but after playing him for a time he realised that there was something not quite right about it. The fish became violently active, and it was only after a long light that the line was hauled in.

Then Hobson made a strange discovery. The shark that he had hooked had been attacked by another, and almost completely devoured. But tangled in the line, and thus prevented from escaping, was the aggressor, a 15ft tiger shai-K. one of the boldest and most ferocious of the species. In spite of its desperate struggles, Hobson succeeded in landing it; and being naturally elated at bringing off this "million to one shot," as he phrased it, he did not kill the shark, but put it in a tank in the aquarium .for exhibition.

Rope Attached to Wrist. For a week the shark wandered lazily about the tank, and then on. April 25 its movements attracted Hobson's attention. It seemed suffering from some physical discomfort, struggled spasmodically, and finally ejected from its throat a human arm, with a short piece of rope attached to the wrist.

It was pointed out that a human body drifting in the sea would naturally be attacked by sharks; so that accidental drowning was the first popular verdict. The bit of trailing rope may not prove any serious objection to this theory, and even if it were a case of suicide the man might conceivably have tied his hands together before taking his fatal

plunge so as to prevent himself from "prolonging the agony." But clearly there was another alternative, and the police, as in duty bound, proceeded at once to investigate the possibility of murder.

Tattoo of Two Boxers. The rope round the wrist, of course, suggested that the victim had been attacked and bound; but ae in all such cases the first step was necessarily to identify him. The skin of the hand did not seem seriously affected by immersion or partial digestion; bvit an attempt to secure finger-print impressions—as in the famous "human glove" case at Wagga—failed completely. However the ghastly relic provided another and far more important clue. For on it was a tattoo mark—a rough sketch of two boxers sparring together—and this was at once seized upon as likely to lead the searchers in the right direction. The published description promptly pro-,, duced results; for a man named South called at headquarters to inform the police that the arm with the tattoo mark resembled that of his brother James, who lived near Five Dock and had been missing for some days.

Working on this fresh evidence the police found that the supposed victim, James South, was 45 years of age, born in Lancashire, but a resident of Sydney since he was 17 years old. In his youth he had taken to boxing and some 20 years ago appeared several times at the Sydney Stadium. He had a comfortable home near Gladesville, where he lived with his wife, his mother-in-law and his IS-year-old son. He seems to have been a particularly cheerful and pleasant fellow with hosts of friends; and the impression conveyed by the sorrowing brother to the police was that "Jim was the last man in the world to kill himself."

Out on a Fishing Trip. What then has happened to James Smith? The police learned that on April 8, lie got up, cheerful as ever, and informed the family that he, was taking some friends out fishing for a few days. He did not mention any names or the place to which he was going; but as lie often took such trips, staying away for a few days at a time, his relatives did not attach any importance to his silence. He "-ot together a few belongings, told his relatives not to worry about him, and went off. This was on Monday. April 8, and though he was not back by Friday, the family saw no reason for anxiety. However, on that day—the

fifth day of his absence —his wife received a mysterious message. Someone, whose voice ehe could not recognise, rang her up telling her not to worry about Jimmy, and assuring her that "he will be home in three days' time."

Identification Not Certain. Now for the first time alarmed, the family waited anxiously for Jimmy to reappear. But the appointed Monday came and went without a sign, and the first suspicion of the ghastly truth arose when they saw the description of the tattoo mark in the newspapers, and the brother went down to Coogee to identify the arm disgorged by the captive shark at the aquarium 17 days after James Smith left his home.

I have possibly given the impression that the identification is complete and that the investigation is all plain sailing for the police. But this -is. hot so. The tattoo marks are not distinct, •and the figures depicted' on the arm have been at different times selected by a great many people who take pleasure in such personal decorations. In fact, there is no absolute proof yet that the arm is James Smith's, mid the "Sydney Morning Herald," which always prefers' to err on the side of caution in such matters, lias said bluntly Ulflt the grisly relic has not boon identified. On The other hand, the police seem to believe that the arm is James .Smiths and that it is more likely a case ot murder. B"t so far they can prove nothing, an.l they are finding it difficult to make headway. The shark di«d two or three days after disgorging tho arm, and a postmortem revealed no further evidence. But there is a legal difficulty about setting up a judicial inquiry. For a coroner's inquest centres round the examination of a body, and tho magistrate consulted on the matter gave the opinion that it was not in accordance with legal precedent or procedure to hold an inquest on a solitary limb. So there for the moment "the case rests," ■and the tragic question "Where is James Smith V still remains unanswered.