WHAREKURI TRAGEDY

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1925, Page 3

WHAREKURI TRAGEDY

NO SIGN OF HUDSON. (Per Press. Association.) DUNEDIN, May 7... More than a fortnight has passed since the people of,the near-by townships of Kurow and Hakataramea were shocked by the first tidings of the tragedy at Wharekuri, and up to the present there has been no sign of Philip Hudson, the young University student, for whose arrest a warrant has been issued on a charge of murdering Olive Rutherford, a girl of 18, who is alleged to have died from wounds caused by a rifle shot, though it was at first supposed that her injuries were caused by ths overturning of the motor-car which went over the cliff, and was shattered. Since that puzzling happening of April 22, nothing has been found which might explain the mystery with which the entire tragedy is enshrouded. The general opinion here is that Hudson is dead. A vigilant watch has been kept on the Waitaki River, for it is thought that if the body is in the? river it will be found, as it could not easily be carried to sea, since the river, which is obstructed by many small islands, is not high at present. It is stated, however, that others have been lost in the river, and that it has not always returned its dead. Some still hold the view that Hudson is alive, but that does not seem likely. He has not been seen anywhere, neither has anyone called at any farmhouse for food. It is thought that he could not easily have left the district, and he could hardly have lived in the open during the weather of the last few days, during which there have been rain, hail and frost, while the loftiest mountain ranges are white with snow.