MYSTERY DEEPENS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 9

MYSTERY DEEPENS

Murder of Cyclist MAIL-BOX INCIDENT Footprints Found in Drain DELAY OF INQUEST ' ' ■ J Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, August 28. ■ The mystery surrounding the murder of the late Mr. E. J. Blakeway on Sunday evening, and the statement made by Mr. E. Spiers, <a rural mailman, that on Wednesday morning he heard a whine and then i? the crack of a missile hitting some- " thing hard, is deepened by the conw firmation of the fact that the mail a- box belonging to Mr. A. Matheson i was rifled. *, Mr. Speira heard the noise referred to at about 4.15 pan. on Wednesday just as he was preparing to moveofT in his car after having stopped at the inail box in question. Upon his return to. clear Mr. A. Matheson’s mall he noticed that there was a bullet hole in the box, but it later transpired that the hole had been there, for several days and was in fact slightly rusted. The police searched the vicinity or both the murder and the mail box yesterday afternoon, and it is learned that footprints were,discovered In the drain leading to 1 the mail box. This is a most unusual manner, in which to approach the box, and the inference is that: It was made by somebody, presumably the person who fired the shot#'lf it was a shot, who desired to conceal himself. The police are pursuing at least three lines of Inquiries into the two affairs, but there are several conflicting features tjjat make their, task of arriving at a conclusion very difficult. i A party of police and detectives has commenced an intensive search of the surrounding locality for the weapon which inflicted the fatal wounds. The ditches and drains are being combed with rakes and forks. : . It is understood that a search for a letter, allegedly of a threatening nature, which was previously reported had come Into the possession of the murdered man, will be futile, as it has probably been destroyed. . The date for the coronial inquest into the manner in which Mr. Blakeway met his death has not yet been fixed, and it is possible that the inquiry will sot be held for some time. ’