MURDER OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7524, 14 April 1890, Page 5

MURDER OF A CRIMEAN VETERAN.

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NEW JPLYMOOIH, A£*tt W. Aferociotte nmeder waa eozanut&d ii the Keoreation Gtrranda on Friday, the victim being an old matt named Sttpheii Mak©ay. *ihe deceased wa* a discharge eoldiar, having served ia the Crimea. i& livtd alone in a small cottage in thf gronnde, and was last imq aii«( on Friday at noon. Hβ wss misled oo Friday night, and search Wai toade for nasi on Saturday aitetaooa, ttheuhis body was found lying in torn* tern and sorub about twenty chains from his house. Marks of violence were found oa the body, bat were not at first considered to be of a serious character, and thert waslittli blood visible. Thejxwi mortem to-day revealed that the deceased had been horribly murdered. Nine cute were found in the head. Hone of them, however, fractured the skull or penetrated the brain. Hie windpipe bad been smashed to atoms by some blent instrument, as there was no external cufc but severe concussion. The theory is that the murderer used the blunt end of 6 small tomahawk, inflicting repeated blow* on the throat with it wnich severed th< windpipe, but no severe external wound was occasioned. The deceased was* a native of Kerry, Ireland, and had been la this colony over thirty yuan. He waa decrepit, and could noc walk without a sticit. His stick and hat were foUfld about six or seven y&rde further in the scrub. When the body was found is -was noticed that one of the pockets had beta turned inside out, and the deceased* parti (empty) was found near the body. Tb* motive for the crime was evidently to obtain money. The police have arra«ted « Native pained Mitu Kai, who was liberated from gaoitourteen days ago, having eerv«4 a sentence for houae breaking. Aiarkl oi blood were found on the Maori's trousers, and he was seen in the locality on the day the murder was committed. The deceased told the keeper of the recreation ground* that a Maori he did not know had called at hia house alone oh Friday morning, atiJ he had «ivea him his breatt'aat. He also said the Maori told him he was employed dvingsome work in tne lteoreation ground*, The keeper tola decea&ed that the inaorfa statemunt was uutrue, as no Maori had been working in the grounds. The politic are engaged m getting up the case, and it H exptiuted that evidence will be adduced at the inquest (which commences on Mooday) eutttyiently strong to coxumic tut Maori tor trial The murder is supposed to have been committed with deceased's own hatchet, which beats marks of blood upoU it. The deceased waa a recipient of charitable aid, and had no relations in the colony.