THE MURDER OF MR, GEORGE DOBSON.

Grey River Argus, Issue 76, 7 July 1866, Page 2

THE MURDER OF MR, GEORGE DOBSON.

*nL RECOVERY OF THE BODY. . jh . — • -■■ We are happy to be able to announce that the search-party which has been out for the last four days, under Mr Inspector James, was yesterday^successful in recovering the body of Mr Geurge Dobson, who was murdered on tho Twelve-Mile track about six weeks ago. In our last, we detailed the proceedings of the search-party during the first day (Tuesday). On Wednesday, the search was continued near. the spot indicated in the instructions received by the police, about a mile on this side of the coal-pits, until dark, but without any result. They had scoured the bush, waded every creek in the vicinity, and underwent' an amount of fatiguing labor which was enough to dispirit the most sanguine ; but Inspector James determined not to give up the search until he had found the body, and, accordingly, the -party returned to the coal-pits, where they spent the night. On Thursday morning the search, was again commenced with renewed vigor ; and as Inspector James thought the spot indicated might be on the track above the coalpits, the search was there continued until r< midday, but without success, and the party were retracing their steps when they were met by special constable O'Brien,, who had arrived in town on the previous evening, and had* that morning started up the river to deliver to Inspector James the tracing which. ■? he had brought from Nelson of the 1 supposed apob where the murder was committed. The party thus strengthened, found the spot -pointed out in the sketch, a«d the remairif^A' portion of the day was spent in searching this spot and a ts vicinity, bat without any result. - Again, on Friday morning, theparty commenced their wearyiseirck through the bush; and Inspector James, .feeling convinced that- the murdered man was buried ne'areftbwn than 'indicated on the tracing,, directed the search to be made about a milefurther down the track, below the upper or small island, while on the plan it is pointed out as being considerably above the small island. It will be remembered that in hia confession Sullivan mentioned that a man and a woman passed the tent about the time; • ' when Mr Dobson was murdered. On inquiry,, it was found that -this man and woman did not reach the coal-pits until after dark^and this circumstance led Mr James to the conclusion that tho scene of the murder must have been nearer the town than the spot in-v dicated on the sketch. He despatched one of the constables to the Arnold Gully, in order to find out who this man and woman, were, and to endeavor,. if .possible, to bring one of them back to point out the spot where the tent which they .passed was pitched. •« Tho search-parly was thus reduced to Mr ' Inspector. James, -Constable M'llroy, and special constable O'Brien, and they continued the search, as we have said,' a mile below tho spot pointed out in the sketch. " - At five minutes to 12 o'clock, the party were following np a blind dry- creek, and Inspector James was at the foot of a large fallen log over the creek, when he remarked \ to Constable M'Hroy, who was following, that he felt a mest unusual smell. Constable M'llroy immediately observed lying'ih the creek a brandy bottle, and he replied that he ■thought the smell came from the brandy. Mr James said it was not that, and an examination of the bcttle showed tnat the label waa quite. fresh, and it could not have been there long. A close search of the. ground' was immediately commenced, footprints were seen, and within three yards of the spot where they were standing Constable M'llroy observed the toe of a boot sticking up abon an inch above the ground, and in a minutef the party had the satisfaction of knowing that their labors had terminated successfully. The body was buried under a high terrace and it was rather mortifying for Mr James to see that on the first day of the search he had ' " l been on the top of this terrace,- within about ■ thirty feet of the spot where the grave was We may here notice it as a strange coinci- 2jj dence that at the same time and on ™ the same day last week," the bodies of the four men murdered on theMaungatapu were recovered, and that Constable O'Brien waa present on both occasions. ' ' £jj| A few minutes after the discovery, Mr " James cooeyed to O'Brien, who was on the track, and he was answered by Mr Russell," a storekeeper, who said there was a large party coining up to join the search, and Mr JaEfe^^ delayed further proceedings until this' part^^ , arrived, which they did in about half an hour. This party consisted of,. Mr- Tod- . - hunter, the brother-in-law of the murdered. *' man, Mr Bain, district surveyor, and a number of gentlemen who had that morning volunteered to assist in the search. • The ' earth waa then removed from th^ tfodyi and "~ it was found to be lying full Ifength 'covered by from ten to twelve inches of earth, Tho murdered man's coat had been taken off and thrown over the legs and the lower -part of

«=_ „ : . .^|- .. " , -IJ^tody, his gold chain hung on hisivest, fH^s silver watch was. in his left-hand vest pocket. It was taken out, and it was observed to have stopped at 28 minutes to ' four o'clock. On removing the coat from A the legs they found the murdered man's compass in the case, his field book and tape, -'and four straps lying loose, and his hat. The body was removed as nearly as possible in the position in which it layi and the earth Svas not removed from the face ; but it was noticed that the lower part of one of the jaws was injured, which may have been caused by decomposition. The trees near the, spot -leading on to the track were marked, and the grave was found to be thirty yards off the track.' The body was removed on a stretcher, which had been • taken up by the first party, and conveyfed to the boat which had come up that day. The whole party, with their melancholy burden, arrived in town about three o'clock yesterday. A large crowd assembled on the river bank, and followed the corpse as it was borne into the Union Hotel, where an inquest will be held to-day at noon by Mr Warden Revell. •We cannot conclude this notice without stating that the best thanks of the community are due to Mr Inspector James, and ■ the other members of the police force who * were engaged in this search, for the hearty and determined manner in which they both entered into and prosecuted the search, and we must congratulate them upon its successful termination. .■■-•.- . \f