LATEST DETAILS OF THE CRIME

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 25, 30 January 1924, Page 8

LATEST DETAILS OF THE CRIME

SCREAMS HEARD AT NIGH_.

(BI T.l.aßAPH.— ntri- ASSOCIATIOH.) '' .GISBORNE,,_9th January. Further particulars of the Makaraka murder show.that the crime apparently was committed soon after 8 o'clock in thijf evening.'' The girl, whose,,.name is, Gwendoline Kathleen Murray, was only 11 years of age last birthday. She was an attractive-looking girl; who was.popular with her fellow-schplars at Te Hapara ■School. She left her mother's heme, abput a mile and a half away, at 5.30, tp go to .the post office and store. She received the groceries and letters, and left shertly after 8 e'clock with 10s in change. Befere leaving home the girl, according to the mother's statement, was teld tp go to a Mrs. Green's; if. Mrs. Green was not home she -was to go to the bakehouse, see her brother, and tell him to take her home. The girl failed to do this. Mrs. Green did not get hpme till 6.30, and saw up sign pf the girl. The sterekeeper, Mrs. Dixon, states that she asked the girl if her mether knew she was put so late, but the girl said her nipther was aware ef the. fact, and that she was all right* 'Mrs..-Dixon says the girl appeared to her' to be just as usual. . ■ . . - . | | The next link is the story ef Mrs. Fleming, wife of the sexton of Makaraka cemetery. While she and her husband were sitting inside the house, between 7 and 8 o'clock (she. thinks that j was about the time), they heard oneloud scream, which seemed to come from j the direction of the road. Mr. Fleming went to the door to* listen, but ceuld hear/nothing. It was quite dark at the time, and hearing nothing further he thought the'-scream came from girls out "joy-riding," and went inside again. This merning, at abput 10.30, a lad named James Smellie, whp was gathering eggs, saw the girl's body under.a tree, sixty yards from the main road, and ten yards frem the sexten's back gate. The sextcn went tp the spot and fpund the bpdy, with the clething, disarranged and torn, and with marts of viplence plainly visible, en the throat and body. . . The police were informed; and Detec-. tive M'Leou.and Plain-clothes Constable Thempspn went cut. Searching the body they discovered that the 10s had been stelen. The police probably have a difficult task befere tnem, as the scene pf the crime is all in. grass, and ther« are ne feotprints visible. Up till a late heur tp-night no arresthad been made. .