DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 13 September 1920, Page 3

DOMINION NEWS

PUKEKAWA "MURDER. AN ARREST EFFECTED. MARRIED MAN IN CUSTODY. AUKLAND, September 11.— Th& arrest was effected on Saturday, afternoon at Tuakau of a, farm labourer named Samuel John Thorn, on a charge of murdering Sydney Seymour Eyre at Pukekawa on the night of August 24th. Thorn was conveyed to" Auckland in custory on Saturday evening, and will be brought up at the police court to-morrow morning. The arrested man is 33 years of ago. He is married but has for some time been living apart from his wife and family of six children. While Eyre was on active service for over two | years Thorn managed the farm for Mrs Eyre. In July, Eyre having returned, Thorn went to work at Glcnmurray, 18 miles from Eyre's homestead. He had been working there for about six weeks when tho murder was committed, and during that period paid three visits to Eyro's house. A double-barrelled shot gun and some ammunition were found in Thorn's whare and these have been submitted to an expert, whose report is in tho hands of the police. It is understood that the authorities are satisfied that only one shot was fired and that, a special kind of cartridge was used. Some pelletts found in the murdered man's room are in the possession of the police. It is understood that the police investiga^ tions have established three points, viz (1) that the murder was not committed for robbery, (2) that the perpertrator must have been acquainted with the house and its surroundings, (3) that the shot was fired from outside the house.