THE GATTON MURDERS.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1899, Page 6

THE GATTON MURDERS.

Mr. Harry Stockdale is one of the most capable of living Australian explorers. It therefore goes Avithout saying that he is a thoroughly expert bushman, who in his outside experiences has probably hail occasion more than once to speculate upon, if not trace, the causes of murder, and the causes of sudden death. His speculations upon the Gatton crimes have had prominence in the Bulletin, and the latest of these Aye reproduce: — " IVo of my surmises have iioav been' proved correct — firstly, that Murphy was shot j secondly, that the murderers left the paddock by the sliprails. I am,therefore, emboldened to offer these further suggestions : — The man* or men seen near the sliprails must have been aAvare of the intended ball, and that the Murphys Avere likely to attend it. They inspected the passers-by to be sure the Murphys had gone, and so as to know them on their return, trip. Or possibly, they intended to dispose of them as they went, had not Mrs. Carroll driven up so close behind. Mrs. Carroll states she saw a man, when near the rails, run after ihe Murphys and peer into their cart, but that hearing her trap coming he turned off into the bush. Had they cut the party off going to the ball they avouH have had possession of the girls the Avhole night without anyone troubling as to their not being at the ball j and, consequently, there Avould have been more time to eit'ect their evil purpose and escape. Looked at every Avay, the deed seems to have been the work of some Avho bore malice to the family, knew that they avouUl probably attend the ball, and made deliberate arrangements accordingly. " Again, the heads of the victims are reported to have been smashed Avith a ' billet of avoocl.' If .this means a bludgeon, recently cut for the purpose, the manner of cutting might be a clue, as most men cut Avood in a style as distinctly their own as they write or talk. No description seems to have been given of this ' billet ' that played so prominent a part in the murders. And here are tAvo other circumstances tending to strengthen the opinion that the deed Avas the work of those who, if not actually resident, kneAv the place Avell. " Ist. Despite the number of police and others noAV in this locality, the residents are so terrified that they leave their homes cis night comes on for those of their neighbours ; this points to a suspicion — perhaps even to a knoAvledge — that the murderers are still at hand and likely to attack others to Avhom they may owe a grudge. The other point is that the bereaved mother, 6ver the bodies of her murdered and outraged children, should have prayed for the souls of the guilty ones. Either Mrs. Murphy is an absolute earthly saint, or she had in her mind, as the criminals, certain persons knoAvn to her. The natural first feeling in the circumstances — especially Avith the emotional Irish blood — Avould be an intense desire for revenge upon the culprits. '' Finally, the absence of any attempt to conceal the bodies Avas probably due either lo the danger of acquiring tell-tale stains, to lack of time, or to a feeling of vindictive contempt."