THE LATE DETECTIVE CAMPBELL.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 67, 1 September 1919, Page 6

THE LATE DETECTIVE CAMPBELL.

STORY OP A FORGOTTEN CRIME.

The late Detective 'Campbell, who passed l away at Island Bay recently, was connected with several notable criminal caaes (says 'the Dominion). One concerned 1 the murder of a young Englishman on ?i station oil the East Coast. This man had secured work on the station, another employee on which was acquainted* with the newcomer's wife. That acquaintance developed with tragic results. One day: the older hand and the young Englishman went shooting, and the former came back alone. Later, when questioned as to the Englishman's whereabouts, the older man stated that the man had gone to a certain* town. Time "passed, with no return of the missing manj and some of the hands from the station, on- visiting the town in question-, made inquiries as to the whereabouts' of their former mate, and were told that he had not visited <tlic town for many weeks. The circumstances looked so suspicious that the police were advised of the whole affair. Detective Campbell, then in Wellington', was sent to make inquiries, and in order to \ reach the place unobserved, made the trip in a scow. After snaking all inquiries 'he. went up the coast to the station, convinced that there had .been' foul play. Detective Campbell engaged a number of Maoris, who, armed ■with sharp-pointed manuka poles, went carefully over the ground that the two mtn> 'had shot- over on 1 the fateful day. Thet search appeared likely to be abortive, when they came' across the remains of a fire in the bush. The ground, blackened iby embers, was prodded and poked, until 1 one Maori struck the corpse of the missing man buried under a few inches of soil. With great difficulty; the 'body was taken down' to headquarters, and a medical man "was called in to examine the remains andi testify to the cause of death. The result was the arrest on a charge of wilful murder of the man who had been wit shooting witlrthe Englishman. The case was thought to be a clear one, i ■but the essential witness gave his evi- | dence in such a manner that the accused was acquitted. Ostracised in the •district, however, the man : who had been accused left it and took work elsewhere, and whilst so engaged he wa« carrying a kerosene lantern' one night when he stumbled, the flame- of. the. lantern) set fire to 'his oil-soaked clothes, and ie was so severely burned that he died in the hospital almosit immediately.