MURDER MOST FOUL

Evening Star, Issue 19272, 10 June 1926, Page 3

MURDER MOST FOUL

DETECTIVES' AWFUL DEATH MINERS THREATEN LYNCH LAW With their heads and limbs missing, the mangled and partly-charred trunks of Inspector Walsh and Detective-sergeant Pitman, of Ihe West Australian police force, were discovered on May 12 at the foot of an abandoned mine shaft, 60ft deep, three miles from Boulder, near Kalgoorlio. Detective-inspector Walsh and Detectivesergeant Pitman were members of the goldstenting detection staff of the Criminal In vesligalion Department, but usually reported direct lo Ihe Chamber of Klines. Inspector Walsh and Detective-sergeant .Pitman left Kalgoorlio on bicycles on tho evening of Tuesday, April 27, or perhaps early the following morning, to investigate an alleged ease of gold stealing Unit had come under their notice. It had been usual for tho detectives to bo absent from town for days at a time, and for the first few days their absence did not cause alarm. Both men were excellent bnshmen. About a week before (he discovery of ihe bodies of tho two officers, however, anxiety for their prolonged absence begun to manifest itself in offioial circles, and on. May 9 Inspector Condon and Detective-sergeants Manning and O'Brien arrived at Kalgoorlio to investigate tho mailer. The search for the missing officers was made difficult by reason of the fact that they did not usually furnish reports of (heir movements until tho investigation in hand was completed. THE DISMEMBERED BODIES. Walsh and Pitman, it is stated, had frequently been out in the bush for a week at a time, but as a rule they were seldom away for more Hum two or three days. It is clear that when they started out on this occasion they did not intend to stay long, for, although the weather was cold, they dil rc.t take overcoats or blankets. The search was continued early on the morning of May 12. Ono of the parties, acting on information supplied by two men, who had been driving through the bush in a sulky, arrived at a shaft at what is knjvn'as Miller’s Find. At the bottom of the shaft, n distance of alkfiit 60ft from the surface, the dismembered and charred bodies of the two missing men were found. Tho heads of both bodies had been sawn otV. ii'.d (lie legs 1 ind been sawn off just below tho knees, .and .again just above the knees. The trunks were also sawn in halves. It appears that the murderers had placed the various portions of tho bodies in a furnace in an attempt to destroy evidence of their crime.

From all appearance the ghastly crime was committed at seme place far removed from where the bodies were found. The shaft and nearby surface workings have not been touched for years. Cart tracks led up to and away from the shaft. At the bottom of th shaft covering the dismembered bodies were found firebricks, gold srales, firebars, tongs, a furnace used for smelting ore, and several other portions of an illicit gold treatment plant. TH K COMMUNITY CHOCK FI). From these facts the story of the crimecan he built, up. It is known that Inspector Walsh and Sergeant Pitman were watching a plant somewhere to the south of Kalgoorlie. Seemingly they set out early on the morning of April 28 to watch the place, and on arriving, cither rushed tho gold stealers to arrest them, or were surprised when creeping up to see what was going on. Apparently there wan a desperate, struggle, in which the detectives were struck on their heads with terrible force, or were shot and killed.

The murder, which is regarded as beyond doubt to have been tho work of the gold thieves whom the officers were attempting to bring to justice, has shocked the entire State, in Ralgooriie the miners are outraged, and in their intense horror they have been openly advocating lynch law. “ Old John,” a-s Inspector Walsh was called, had patrolled Kalgooriio and Coolgardie from tho days of the first strikes of gold. He was 62 years of age, of fearless and indomitable character, and respected by all tho old-timers. Invariably he went unarmed into the haunts of gold stealers, and returned unscathed with his quarry. “Maybe,” said a comrade, “‘Old John’ had grown careless.” Not careless was the younger detective, Sergeant Pitman, however. He was fifty years of age, and looked less. Regarded as a ” tough man to handle in a row,” Pitman went after gold thieves armed. He was a very brave, man, and deadly accurate with his firearms. Unless ambushed the police say he would have left some dead or wounded enemies behind him.

Inspector Walsh had much to do with Butler, tho murderer, who had to be brought back from America some years ago. He left a grown-up family. SEARCH FOR PERPETRATORS.

The West Australian Cabinet has approved of a reward of £I,OOO for information that will load to the conviction of the person or persons who committed the murders. Although no official statement has been made, those closely associated with the work of the police have gained the impression v.nt, following the discovery of the bodies of the murdered detectives, action will be swift ami sure in other directions. .It is known that Detective-inspector Walsh and Detective-sergeant Pitman were, engaged on a gold stealing case, in which they were keeping certain men under observation. The identity of these men is a closcly-gnarded departmental secret. An'overcoat, which could not be identified as having belonged to Walsh or Pitman, was also brought to light. It might prove an important link in forging the chain of evidence against some man. The appearance of the coat supports the theory that Walsh and Pitman died fighting. The coat had evidently been worn by a big man. The buttons wore, hanging on strips of freshly - tom cloth, as if the wearer had been in a desperate fight, in which his opponent had gripped the coat front and ripped it open, taking the buttons with it. Bloodstained as it was, and n dangerous garment to own, the murderer or murderers no doubt dumped it down the mine with the remains, in the belief that it would never be found.

Tho cart tracks leading to tho mine are regarded by the police as the evidence most likely to lead them to tho scene of the murder. Tracking was commenced by Mounted Constable Goldie and two blacks in charge of Detect ive-ssrgeant O’Brien, who is spoken of as tho bc-st tracker, black or white, in Australia.