Maungatapu Murders

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 37, 7 November 1933, Page 11

Maungatapu Murders

Sir, —In your issue of November 4 there is a very interesting letter from Mr. P. J. O’Regan which shows that he had gathered considerable' information about this celebrated case, but I think he makes one mistake when lie says that after Sullivan had given evidence, on the West Coast iu the Dobson murder ease he was detained in Dunedin gaol until 1874, when he was released conditional on his leaving New Zealand. I joined the Bank of New South Wales in April, 1865, and was junior clerk iu the Nelson branch on June 12, 1866, •the date of the Maungatapu murders—l was then a youth of seventeen. It was elicited at the trial that the four murderers had divided the gold and money found on the murdered men, and had decided to stick up one of the banks iu Nelson, of which there were three —the Union Bank, Bank of New Zealand, and Bank of New South Wales. The members of the gang visited all these banks, sold small lots of gold, and changed notes, etc. They decided that the Bank of New South Wales was the easiest proposition and the date was fixed for the departure of the uext Melbourne steamer. This "stick up” was upset by the fortunate arrest of the murderers on suspicion of being connected with the disappearance of the murdered party. I saw some of the murderers in the bank, and also the whole gang several times during their trial, which lasted over a week. After Sullivan had given evidence on the West Coast and returned to Nelson, I saw him many times with the hard labour gang marching through the Nelson side- streets, and it is my belief that he remained in Nelson gaol until he was ultimately released, but this could doubtless be ascertained by reference to the Nelson gaol authorities, it is probable that 1 am the only man 'now living who saw the murderers face to face. —1 am, etc., R. C. TENNENT. Woodville, November 4.