THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

Press, Volume IX, Issue 1136, 28 June 1866, Page 2

THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

The following extracts we take from the "Nelson Colonist," of the 22nd inst. The pack-horse which belonged to the four missing men was first tracked on Tuesday, near to a ravine about one and a-half miles on this aide of Franklyn's flat, and then the traces disappeared. Yesterday the horse was found down in the gorge shot, with the pack-saddle on, and the swag© attached to it. Three men, who were apprehended on Tuesday, as well as the man Levy, who was taken last Monday night, are believed to be the murderers of Mr Dobson, and are the men wanted at the Grey on a charge of intending |q commit a felony on Fox, the storekeeper, for whom poor Dobson was mistaken, and no doubt shot, and his body disposed of. Since Tuesday last, the police obtained some information which led to the apprehension of three men, with whom this Levy is more or less identified, and who, as we have said, are implicated in the supposed murder of Mr Dobson. Levy denied having any mates ; but it was ascertained that he had lodged with a man in the Oyster saloon, and this man's baggage wot found there and seized, and himself shortly after apprehended. The same night, two others were taken into custody; and there seems no doubt that they are all of one gang. three, who gave the names of Hicham Henry Mullin, Thomas Joseph M'Gee, and Thomas Noon, were brought before Mr Pointer, on Wednesday, charged with being suspected of waylaying the four lost men. : The prisap- ! era were remanded tiU'to-morrc-'w* | ! A public meeting was held on Wednesday, and a committee formed. After the meeting, the committee met immediately, and proceeded to take the names' of volunteers and flubscrioerfe Within half-an-hour, upwardsjjof fori? men had offered themselves as searchers ; and, in about the same space of time, fully £50 was subscribed and paid on the spot. The committee then made the necessary arrangements for sending out the search party, and shortly; after eight o'clock yesterday morning a welt equipped party of upwards of fifty persons, all volunteers, who gave their time gratuitously, set out from Nelson Ipiexplore the district under Mr ton, who was placed in charge of the Large rewards were offered at wrej* mouth for the apprehension of these men, and they are now in safe custody. It is said that men similarly described to some of them, have been " wanted by the police in Victoria for «?<JJ seven years ; and if they are committed to our prison in Nelson, we wowa

some means be taken to *_T_xe building secure against esTo old hands there are but in the way of escape **TTe have been told that a conversa- • -hufcween two of the prisoners was the lock-up when all They are in separate cells, one of them was heard to say alms Burgess » Did {hey strip « Yes," was the reply. " Did ffv'see tbe gun-shot on your back ! " Mullin. "Oh, my God!" _ts the ejaculation of the querist. Yesterday, a dozen men came down from Deep Creek, and several went up f_m Nelson, besides those who left in STmoming. With the police party -ndafltbe others, it is believed that So« are now nearly eighty men in _& about the neighborhood of FrankWi A*** Se* loll Committee last Stent made arrangements for the fyLtfeh of four pack-horses to-day, supplies of all kinds. It _ to be hoped that the weather, which looked threatening and was rainy last njoht, will improve, and allow of prosecution of the search. About five o'clock yesterday afternoon a messenger came in to say that the horse of the missing men had been found. Ifr discoverer was James Martin, tjje Half-caste, who is accompanied by fine dog. The horse was dead, shot tjjioadi the head. Its body was found frmff at a spot about a mile and ajjtmrter to a mile and a-half on Sua side of Franklyn's flat. The animal had been apparently backed to tho edge of the cutting forming the road, and then shot and allowed to tumble down the bank. It l»y about fifty feet down from the road, sad was covered with branches of trees and fern. The swags of three or four men were attached to the packatddle, which was still on its back. It a probable that four swags were attached to the saddle, because that of one of the Harvey's was, we believe, : taken on by Matthews's party. About tiro or three hundred yards further on, or nearer the flat, Dudley's swag ; was found down the incline. It in- , eluded a bag, in one end of which were : some account books and a pocket-book. The end of this bag had been cut I open as if to take out the books. Mr • Davenport, who arrived about an hour : after the messenger, says that all the property had been taken charge of by tbe police. The head of the horse was in progress of being opened in order to find the ballet. There was a rumor in town to the effect that a gun had been found near the place ; but there is no pound for such a report, as nothing of the kind had been discovered when Mr Davenport left. Felix Matthews's son was present at the finding of the horse and swags, and was very much overcome by the discovery. A black felt hat was picked up near the Tlafc on Tuesday, and sent in. It has ahotein it, which might have been made by a bullet; but it has no lining, and.bears the appearance of an old weather-bkiached hat that has been lying about longer than a week. The w Nelson Evening Post," of the 23rd, gives the following further in- i formation:— This morning, long before the time ■ of the opening of the Besident Magis- 1 trate's Court, the doors were besieged 1 by a crowd of persons anxious to be 1 present at the examination of the men ' respected of these fearful murders. < When the doors were opened a great i rush took place to obtain admission. | Besides the Besident Magistrate, there i were present on the bench Mr 1 Saunders, Superintendent of Nelson ; 1 Mr Moorhouse, Superintendent of < Canterbury; Sir David Monro, and ' Messrs. Wells aod White. The prisoners were then brought in, charged 1 with the wilful murder of Messrs. 1 Eempthorn, Matthews, Dudley, and i Pontius. Their names are Richard 1 Burgess, alias Hall; Thomas Kelly, i abas Hannon, alias Noon; John : Joseph Sullivan, alias M'Gee ; and Wuhan*, alias Phil Levy. The prisoners did not deny their names. The Besident Magistrate, addressing them, v*& he was given to understand that As gentleman who was employed to conflict ti»e prosecution for the Crown was not yet ready with his case. He should therefore remand them till Tuesday next. The prisoners were •eendingly remanded. After the prisoners were removed Mr Saunders and Mr Moorhouse went ■ad taw them in their cells. As they put their faces to the window of the *jB a good view could be obtained of jjefcre part of the head, and a set of ™*»»ads more villainously low has not «*» been seen. Sullivan was the principal spokesman. He expressed a amount of virtuous indignation **«a detention. He said he had not <*» in New Zealand two months, and wat a Nelson resident could prove «■* he had only just left Mount *o*aug, in Victoria, where he had «*waa publican and storekeeper for *■***»* eighteen years. The Nelson "■went to whom he has appealed is to give a slightly different **pwint of his antecedents. Mr *°°riH»se informed him he would jara an opportunity of calling the infmdoal referred to to establish his if he was really innocent, as i himself to be. Sullivan ■■« he attributed his incarceration to in the town, whom he named •M abused, but he was quite mistaken m ha supposition. B *ery person who arrives from the < ■<«» of the murder, says that the ex2~?®°* among the searching party is ** the highest point. As time paases, ««* no result is attained, the indignation of the disappointed searchers is gojjortfonatery increased. A person r Ha *heMaungatepu stated last evenggj«»t the searching party declare if : weydo not soon find the lost men, < "ley will eojag own j Q a & Q jnand permission of the Government w| take back Levy, and compel him, *«& & rope around his neck, to dis- ««» the spot where the bodies are ' •aereted. In tiie same paper appears an adver«*»aent m which £200 reward is Jgw* by Mr. T. W. Kempthorne for 2L**° T «7 of his brother's body either dead or alive.