COAST MYSTERY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 53, 26 November 1930, Page 13

COAST MYSTERY

Complete Disappearance MURDER THEORY Unsuccessful Police Search By Telegraph—Pres'fe Association. Greymouth, November 25. Despite continued searching by the police in the bush country, there is no sign yet of Ernest Mansfield Burr, who has been missing since November 7 from his home at Marsden. STORY OF DISAPPEARANCE Bloodstains in Bedroom For four days now detectives and experienced busbmen have searched the dense bushland, with its thousands of abandoned mine-shafts, which surrounds the house of Ernest Mansfield Burr at Marsden, from which Burr disappeared on the night of November 7, states the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch “Star.” So far nothing has been seen or heard of him. There is some evidence that he may have gone away of his own accord, but the police are working on evidence which would indicate that he had been murdered. Burr, a thirty-year-old married man, was employed as a locomotive trolleyman at Ogilvie’s mill at Marsden, ten miles out from Greym'"ith. A few weeks ago his wife went away. He remained at the house alone until November 1, when with an acquaintance he visited Greymouth. He returned home after midnight, but when morning came was not to be found. ' . Bloodstains Found. ' ; The neighbours, though mystified, did not place any sinister meaning on the absence until a few days ago, when one of them rang Mr. Burr’s brother at Ngahere and told him. Inquiries were set on foot at once, and the house was. searched. „ In a back bedroom where Burr was accustomed to sleep it was found that the sheets, pillows and mattress had been removed, and the walls and bed were bespattered with blood. A search was commenced, but almost at once came word that two men had seen a man answering Burr’s description riding a bicycle near Runanga. This was discounted almost immediately, however, as it was known that Burr did not own a bicycle, though sometimes he borrowed one from a friend. The acquaintance in whose company Burr had spent the night, Mr. Frederick Tibbles, a farmer of Nelson Creek, told the police, however, that Burr had mentioned to him that he was going away next morning early, and a neighbour, Mrs. A. 8. Johnstone, stated that just as dawn was breaking on November 8 she thought she heard sounds of movement at Burr’s place. Mr. F. H. Tibbles states that he called for Burr about 7.30 p.m. with his car, and that the two of them went into Greymouth together. There they were joined at an hotel by Mr. Tibbles’s brother and another friend, and spent the evening together. Mr. Tibbles drove the four of them home, dropping his brother and friend at South Beach, a few miles out of Greymouth. “I intended staying the night at Burr’s,” said Mr. Tibbles, “but when we got there he told me after we had been talking a while that he was going away early next morning. He did not say where he was going t but I thought, knowing that .he had drawn his pay the day previously, he was going back to Greymouth. I. decided that it wasn’t worth my while to stay there for the night as he was leaving early, so went on to Nelson Creek. I thought after I left that it was strange that he did not say where he was going.” "Burr’s manner during the evening was just as usual,” Mr. Tibbles said, “and he did not look as though anything was wrong.” . Brothers* Belief. . Burr’s brothers are; positive that _he would not go away without. letting them -know; He was very much attached to his widowed mother and eight brothers. Further, they point out that Burr’s larder had apparently only recently been restocked, and that a bankbook and other articles had been left. The only things missing were the best suit of clothes which- he had been wearing that night. . There were other intimate details about the house which indicated that' the owner did not intend to stay away. V - . . • An impetus was given to the search by the discovery tliat the big punt at the lake at the old Maori Creek dredging ground is missing, and men worked all day dragging the lake, but, they met with no success. * . • ;