THE LATE DETECTIVE CAMPBELL.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 64, 21 August 1919, Page 3

THE LATE DETECTIVE CAMPBELL.

, STORY OF A FORGOTTEN'CRIME. The late Detective i'an>pbell, who passu! away at islam! liny, recently, u;k; connected -with .several notable criminal cass (says the Dominion). One concerned 1 the imirder of a young Knglis'hmaii on a station on the East Coast. Tliis man had secured wwrk on the station, another employee on which \\>as acquainted with the newcomer'swife.. Tliat acquaintance developed' with tragic results. Cue' day. the obkf har.d and the young' Englishman went shooting, ai:d the' former came 'back alone. Later, when questioned; as to the Englishman 's -whereabouts, the oider m.in stated that tlio man had gone to a certain town. Time 1 passed, with no return of the mi.swing- man, and some of the hands from the station, on- visiting the to-wn in question', imuk" inquiries as" to the whereabouts of tlieir former mate, and- were told) that lie had not visited, the town for many weeks. The circumstances, looked so suspicious that the .police were advised of the whole Affair. Detective Campbell, iheii in Wellington, was sent to make inquiries', and rn order to reach the place unobserved, made the trip in a'scow. After making all inquiries lie went up the coast, to" the station, convinced that there had been foul play. Detective Canifbell engaged a number of Maoris,; | who, armed with s'harp-pointed manuka I poles, went carefully over the ground that the two men had shot over on the fateful'day. The search appeared 'likely to be abortive, when they came across the remains of a lire in the bush. The ground, 'blackened .'by eiubcrs, was prodded and. poked, until one .Maori '••.truck the corpse of the missing man buried under a few inches' of soil. With great diiiiculty the 'body was taken (own to headquarters, and a medical .man was called in to examine the remains and: testify to the cause of death. The result was the arrest on a charge of wilful murder of the -man who had been out.shooting with the Englishman. The case was thought to be a clear one, hut the essential witness gave his evidence in such a manner that the accused was acquitted. Ostracised' in the district, however, the mau -who had been accused left it and took work elsewhere, and' whilst so engaged lie -was carrying a kerosene lantern one night when he stunrbled, the (lame of the'lantern: st?t lire to 'his oil-soaked clothes, and he was so severely burned th'af he died in the hospital almost immediately.