THE EPSOM MURDER.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5726, 29 January 1876, Page 2

THE EPSOM MURDER.

An inqueit wu formally opened at the Prince Albert Inn, Epsom, yesterday afternoon, before Dr. Philson and a jury of 16, to inquire into tht cauxo of the death of Edwin Packer. The jnry having been sworn in, and chosen their foreman, left the hotel and went to the farm of Mr. Cleghorn, where they impacted minutely the place of the late outrage, and viewed the body. The following ia a list of the gentlemen sworn in as jurymen : — William Gardner (foreman), Thomas Jamea Cleghorn, Benjamin Armstrong Bishop, Timothy O'Keiffe, George Reynolds, Joseph Carey, John Lennard, Phineas Daniels, Frank Lawry, Richard Bosanks, David Troara, Joseph Moreland, Henry Clark, Richard Courtenay, Henry O'Neill, and John Parfitt. The jury then returned to the Prince Albert Hotel, where, after the roll had been called over, and the jurors had answered to their names, Inspector Broham, who was conducting the case for the police, announced that he was not, at that stage of the pro* ceedings, prepared to bring any evidence bearing upon the death of the murdered man. He asked that the Coroner would postpone the continuation of the inquest until Thursday, February 3, at noon. The Coroner asked the jury whether the day proposed by Inspector Broham would suit them; he was desirous to consult their convenience as far as possible. It appearing that Thursday would bo the most suitable day for oil parties, the Coroner caxitioned the jurymen that they were liable to a penalty of £10 each if they did not appear on the day of adjournment, and also warned all other persona having business with the case, that they must attend on Thursday. He then dismissed the jury.

THE FUNERAL. After the inque3fc had been adjourned many present attended the funeral. This had been arranged for 5.30, but it was 7 when the procession reached the Church of St. Andrew, which ib near Air. Cleghorn's. The funeral was of an unpretending character : the body was in a hearse, drawn by two horses ; it was followed by about twenty persons. The Rev. Mr. Tomlinson conducted the burial service. The cause of delay— which caused some inconvenience — was the post-mortem examination, wh : ch was made by Dr. Goldsbro'. The examination ended, the body was placed in a neat cofiin, and the hearse at once took it to the cemetery.

LATEST PARTICULARS. Up to the the time of going to press this morning, we are sorry to say that the murderer of the young man Packer is still at large. The police have made every effort to capture the Maori, whose disappearance renders more certain than ever the suspicion which previously attached to him. In addition to the particulars given in our last issue, it may be stated that deceased was a highly accomplished young man, possessing a good knowledge of music. He was able to play on the piano and concertina, and was a very good draughtsman, He also was said to be a good shorthand writer. On the nigh* before the murder he had been in the house of Mr. Cleghorn, playing accompaniments on the piano to many songs. After leaving the house, he sat for some time in a shed, playing various times upon the concertina. 'I he last one he played was " Home Sweet Home." Mr. (Jicghorn, yesterday morning, believing that the suspected man had been concealed about the place during the whole of the day of the murder, made a careful inspection of the paddocks in the neighbourhood of his farm. Going up the hedgorow of a large pot ao field, on the other side of a green lane which divides it from Mr. Cleghorn'i property, he found in the long grass what m»y be described as the "form" of a man in three several places. From each of these a clear view of the place •where the murdered man h*d been placed could be had, and Mr. Cleghorn's conjecture is, that Harry squatted down first in one, and then in another, and possibly saw the people hurrying to and fro in their efforts to find him. The field in which these evidences of his presence have been found is a proof of the bkill which Harry had acquired in agricultural pursuits. The lands are beautifully ploughed, and would do credit to any prize ploughman. Harry ploughed and planted the whole. Mr. Cleghorn also gives information which would seem to prove still further the pre-deter-mination of the murderer. On Monday last he sought to induce the deceased to accompany him to the Waikato, saying that he could show him same capital land in that district, which he would sell him. Packer consulted Mr. Cle^horn upon the subject, and that gentleman pointed out the abauidity of the proposition, seeing that Harry, lie was sure, had no land ; and if he had, that he could not sell it to a European. Ihis induced the deceased to refuse to accompany Harry, and probably saved his life for a few hours, as there can be little doubt that the intention of the Maori was to get young Packer into some secluded spot, and then murder and rob him. This occurred before the quarrel about the missing money, as at that time deceased had not found out his loss. Early yesterday morning a young man named John Mahoney, in the employ of Mr. Cleghorn, went to the well from which the farm is supplied with water, and on the edge of the trough by the side of it found an old purse belonging to the Maori Harry. It contained one shilling and five pennies. 1 1 is conjectured that Harry had washed his hands there after the dreadful deed, but no traces of blood have been discovered.

A REWARD OFFERED FOR THE MURDERER'S CAPTURE. The Government have telegraphed from Wellington instructions to the police to advertise a reward of £100 for the apprehension of the murdei cr. Inspector Brohain at once complied with the instructions — the advertisement appears in another coliimu. Sub-Inspector Pardy, with Sergeant Mulville,Constable Clarke, and Constable Gamble started from town at 3 o'clock yesterday morning, after two hours' rest, and reached Orakci at break of day. At Orakei Bridge Constables Clarke and Gamble parted company, and after visiting Maractai, beat up all the Maori settlements as far as Wairoa. The sub-inspector and sergeant scoured the Kohimaraina settlement and bush in the neighbourhood as far as the mouth of the Tamaki. Thence they searched as far as Otahuhu, and returned to Epsom in time for the inquest. They returned to town at 8 o'clock yesterday evening, and started again on their search this morning at three o'clock. From Detective Jeffrey a report was received during the day that he fully believes that the man who was seen riding violently paBt Henderson's Mill, is the murderer. Nothing further as to the route taken by this man has transpired. Constable Bullen, at Riverhead and Kumea Flats, has not heard anything of the fugitive. The Titirangi Ranges have been searched by Detective Grace without success. The murderer is stated to be related to both Taranaki and Waikato tribes, his father belonging to the former, and his mother to the latter, so that in the event af his making northward, he will not find himself amongtt natives disposed to be particularly favourable to him The country is now thoroughly alivo to the fact that a murderer is at large, and we hope that no long time will elapie before is safely lodged in Mount Eden Gaol. As he is thus related to the Waikato tribes, there is no doubt he will make for the nearest Hauh.au settlement as quickly as possible, if he has not reached there already. The probable course ho would take, after leaving Settlers' Bush, would be to make for the Miranda Redoubt district as quickly as possible, and oaco there he was beyond the reach of Europeans, and within a few hours of settlements where he would receive protection from Hauhau Maoris.

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