The Plimmerton Mystery.

Hastings Standard, Issue 208, 30 December 1896, Page 2

The Plimmerton Mystery.

TRACING THE VICTIMS.

[By Telegraph.]

(I't'r Press Association.) Wellington, This day. Further clues are being afforded which the police hope will lead to the identification of the skeletons. A carpenter, named King, reports that a couple boarded with him for two months in 1894, who, from their description, he believes to be the same. The man's name was Brooker, and the woman, he thinks, was a barmaid. Brooker had a wife and family in Gisborne. After leaving him they took a boarding house which did not pay, and the effects were sold at miction. A possible clue to the identification of the skeletons found at Plimmerton is offered by a man named Clarke, a builder, who was erecting a house in October, 1894. He recollects travelling in the train with the couple, to whom he gave a copy of the Times. They carried a portmanteau, a very unusual thing with picnickers, and were never seen to come back. After going up on the beach they were seen to pick up a bottle. The woman was young, but the man appeared old enough to be her father. The woman, however, wore patent leather boots, and not lace up, and she had a valuable ring on her finger. [The above story appears to be a very doubtful one. It is not usual for fellow-passengers to remember every detail so minutely about one another as Clarke would have believe, especially after a lapse of two years. —Ed. Std.]

THE INQUEST

The following evidence was given before Mr Ashcroft, coroner, at the Railway Hotel, Johnsonville, 011 Monday:— Francis Nofct, farmer, of Tawa Flat, said that he left the Flat and went to Plimmerton by the 10 a.m. excursion train on Saturday, and while there, wandered about the beach and gullies. He got thirsty, and while looking round for water, which was mostly brackish, he saw a rata, tree in flower. He ascended the hill to procure some of the flowers, and saw a skeleton, which he took to be that of a female, as a parasol was lying alongside it. It lay 011 a ledge on the side of the hill and near a small mia-mia which had fallen in and was rotten. He returned to Plimmerton that night, but did not inform Constable Hut ton till next morning (Sunday). He went out with the constable and they spent the whole day on the spot, eventually shifting the skeletons and articles found in the vicinity.

Constable liutton stated that he proceeded to the locality indicated with the last witness on Sunday morning. It was up a swampy gully, and was a very unfrequented place. The beach lay about three-quarters of a mile away. A small mia-mia had been erected, built of boughs of trees, and apparently had been used. There was a bed of fern leaves, which had rotted away under the fallen habitation. He first picked up a skull, and immediately saw a bullet wound in the forehead. Shaking the skull, he found the bullet (produced) inside. He subsequently found a second skull in three different pieces down the hill. It had apparently been trampled upon. There was a bullet wound right through the head. Other remains were discovered j in different spots, within a radius of j from half to three - quarters of a chain. A parasol and a pair of woman's lace-up boots and remnants of woman's clothing were found alongside one of the skulls, and also three lemonade bottles. One bottle was branded "Hamilton, Wellington," and the other two " Brodie, "Wellington." He next discovered a purse, which contained three two-shilling pieces. The purse was much decayed, and was evidently enclosed in a fur handed satchel. Four feet away was a Colt's revolver, two chambers of which had been discharged. Four were still loaded. He found cartridges to fit it subsequently in a portmanteau which was lying in the mia-mia. They fitted not only the revolver, but the hole in the skull first found. On the other side of the tree, near the mia-mia, there was covered over with leaves and dirt, a vaseline bottle containing a memorandum in writing : " Who we are, it matters not ; suffice it to say, we are weary of the world. We hope we enclose sufficient money to bury us." There were four onepound notes and three sovereigns. One note was issued in Wellington in 1890, one in Nelson 1890, and two in Auckland in 1891 and 1893. In connection with the skull last found he picked up cartridges in the portmanteau which fitted a larger revolver (discovered in the mia-mia) and also the hole in the scull. There were two chambers of this revolver discharged also ; four being still loaded. The contents of the portmanteau' were a woman's hat, a man's fawn colored hard hat (knocked in), an abdominal supporter, a small bag containing sundries, a copy of the N.Z Times of October 27t'h, 1891, which when opened up was found to contain an account of an attempted suicide in Wellington. There was also a piece of the N.Z. Times, dated October oth. A pair of men's hob-nailed boots lay close by, and, on the side of the hill, there were eight chlorodyne bottles. Also, a folding purse containing Wellington tram tickets, a lock of hair and one penny. A dilapidated picnic basket containg a bone-handled knife, fork, scissors, See., and a spectacle case were close by. Taking into consideration the character of the remnants, witness came to the conclusion that deceased were a working couple. He had made enquiries, but j was unable to ascertain anything that j would lead to the establishment of j their identity. There was a railway ! station at Plimmerton ; and the ds- 1

ceased no doubt got out there and went into the bush. He was of opinion that it was a case of suicide. He had a doubt at first, but since 1.0 had got pieces of the second skull to fit in properly that afternoon, showing a bullet wound in front and back, he had come to the conclusion that it was suicide. Dr Tripe, in the course of his evidence, stated he had carefully examined the bones and skulls produced. He was satisfied that the skulls belonged to a male and female. That of the latter belonged to a the wisdom teeth giving WtSf indication. These were just coming through. Then with regard to the pelvis of both there was an obvious difference. The bullets had fractured the feft frontal bone in one case, and the right frontal * bone in the other. He was of opinion that it was a case of double murder, each shooting the other by agreement. It was quite possible that the wounds were self-inflicted in each case, but, if they were, the position of the bullethole in one instance led him to believe that theshootest was left-handed. This was all the evidence, and the jury returned a verdict of " suicide by pistol shot " in each case, believing that the facts adduced could lead them to no other conclusion.