CHARRED BODY FOUND

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1939, Page 10

CHARRED BODY FOUND

MURDER SUSPECTED. SYDNEY, August 3. The charred remains of a murdered man were found early on Monday last in the embers of a fire near Blackburn, 12 miles from Melbourne. Although not definitely identified, the body is* believed to he that of James Barnes, aged 64, who is missing from his home only a. few hundred yards away. The body was discovered by Mrs. Edward Geraghty, who with her husband and eight-year-old son, lived 150 yards from the spot where the body was found, states the “Daily Telegraph” Melbourne correspondent. She saw the lire burning at 5.45 a.m. on Monday when she got up to cook breakfast. Although she took no notice of it at first, she mentioned it to her husband, who told her to go down and investigate.

When she first found the body she called her husband, who investigated, and tokl the local police. No official report, has yet been released on the cause of death. When found the body was lying on its back in an area, of burnt ground about. 15ft. by 10ft. Detectives say the man was dead •when the fire was lit, and scout the theory that he might have taken his own life. Local residents are mystified —they saw nothing and heard nothing. Detectives are convinced that the solution of the mystery lies in the district. They are satisfied that the murderer was a man who knew the country well. I Mrs. Barnes is u sister of Geraghty. She, with the other members of lierl i family of eight, were unaware of his disappearance until Monday morning. All Mrs. Barnes knows is that her husband was in bed when she. and her children came home from church late last night. Barnes could not have left the house until midnight or later, but. a pocketknife found in the ashes resembled emo owned by Barnes, and the boots on Ihe body are alleged to he his. Barnes has lived in the district almost all his life. He was not supposed to be wealthy, but many people believed he had a little money saved. He lived with his wife and eight: children, and slept in a room with his son Edward. aged 16. He was at home when the family wont io bed on Sunday night. When Edward got up on Monday morning' his father’s bed was empty, and his work-

ing clothes were missing. Geraghty told detectives that, be had ■ c'-ii nothing suspicious whop lie walk-

ed through the paddock late on Sunday afternoon. He added that he had collected the boughs, which were used to burn the body, six weeks ago for kindling.