CHEMIST MURDER MYSTERY

Evening Star, Issue 21054, 17 March 1932, Page 10

CHEMIST MURDER MYSTERY

DETECTIVES FOLLOWING CLUE YOUNG MAN'S BELATED STATEMENT [Spbcial to the ‘ Stab.’] AUCKLAND, March 16. , . Although the police are very-reticent,-it is known that they have begun a fresh investigation of the tangled skein surrounding the murder of Arthur, James Blomfield, who was fatally assaulted in his,chemist’s shop in Wellesley street at 5 o’clock on the evening of Friday, October 31' last. There has been a long and patient search for evidence, and the final decision was made last Monday to conclude the adjourned inquest next week. Since that decision was made _ there has been a new development which, it is thought, may throw some_ light- on 1 the mystery. : The information came to the,police by chance, and is now being carefully sifted. The attention ofl the detectives has been directed to al young man in the city. It is not thought that he had any connection with the crime, but the detectives hope that, through him, they may be able to check up the movements of two othef young men. , ; _ • • ■ The story which (it is alleged) tha young man told, and which the' detectives are now busy checking up, is that on the night of the murder he was having a drink at the City Hotel when l two men whom he knew came in and asked for a drink. They were both 1 very agitated. He got into conversation with one of them, who said they] had settled Blomfield. The young man knew that for some time the two men 1 ’ had owed the chemist money, and that he was pressing them for payment, which they were unable to make. The story the two men told him was that' they had gone to town in a car, and one of them had, called upon Blomfield to arrange for easier payments of tha debt. Blomfield refused to meet thef request, and the man returned to thq car, then parked in Wellesley street west and told his companion of Blomfiekl’s attitude. Taking a spanner from under, the seat he declared that he would make “ Old Blomfield ” see reason, and went back to‘ the shop.