MURDERED DETECTIVES

Evening Star, Issue 19273, 11 June 1926, Page 5

MURDERED DETECTIVES

THIRD MAN ARRESTED BORN IN NEW ZEALAND. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z, Press Association. PERTH, June 11. (Received Juno 11, at 8.00 a.m.) A third man, named William Coulter, has hoeu arrested and charged with murdering Inspector Walsh. Coulter was born in New Zealand forty-two years ago. Ho went, to Boulder in 1906, He describes himself as an investor. For some years lie held a bookmaker's license.

fHorror has beon excited all over Australia, by the barbarous murder of Inspector Walsh and Sergeant Pitman, two detectives engaged on tbo special work of tracking gold-stealers in the Kalgoorlie (West Australia) district. Tho bodies of the men were found foully mutilated in an abandoned shaft on May 12. Usually tho mutilation of bodies by murderers is purposeful; it always enhances the horror excited by the crime, and doubtless has an effect upon jurors. This case possesses features 'which recall the murder in the Carnarvon district of Queensland of a policeman and a station manager, who weiit with a black tracker after Patrick and James Ken niff, cattle stealers. it was in 1!)U2. A warrant bad boon issued for tho arrest of tho men on a charge of horse-stealing, and Constable George Doyle, Mr A. C. Dahlke, manager ot Carnarvon Station, and Sam Johnson, an aborigno, set forth in search of them on March 21. Doyle and Dahlke never returned. Kino days later Johnson reported to a man named Burke, a solitary 'settler at Lethbridge’s Pocket, an encounter with three of the Ken niff brothers, from which he bad escaped. It was apparent that murder had been committed, and on April 8 Constable Millard and Burke found three heaps of ashes and across Doyle’s horse two pack bags containing the burnt remains of Doyle and Dahlke. After a hunt lasting three months Patrick and James Kenniff were arrested by a party of police and civilians. Both were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. An extraordinary demonstration of sympathy was made during the hearing of an appeal in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, and Mr Justice Real, who dissented ns to the guilt of James Kenniff in the decision to dismiss the appeal, was heartily cheered outside the court by a great crowd. Eventually, there being evidence that James Kenniff was not an active participant in the shooting, he was reprieved. He was ordered to be imprisoned for life, but was released after lie had served a little more than eleven years. In connection with the present case, on May 7, tho police • arrested Evan Clark (aged thirty-two, hotel licensee, of Sou'th Boulder), and Philip John Treffen (aged fifty-one, barman), and charged them with the wilful I murder of Walsh. Tho two men were ' well known in the district, and their arrest caused a sensaiionj