THE GREYMOUTH TRAGEDY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 19 November 1917, Page 7

THE GREYMOUTH TRAGEDY

COLLECTING EVIDENCE AGAINST EGGERS'. (Fas Pbbbb Association.) GREYAIOUTH, Nov. 18. Detective-Sergeant Connolly arrived at Greymonth on Saturday evening to collect ilio evidence lor the Crown in the charges, four in number, laid against the prisoner Eggers, alias McMahon. In a chat with the Argus representative. Detective-Sergeant Connolly said the prisoner was a dangerous man tor the, police to handle, as was shmm hy his actions alter his arrest. At the police, office ho was particularly alert and quick in his movements, _but his tongue was absolutely still. When Sergeant Connolly interviewed him. after finding the money at his lodgings and told him of it, and that the notes , were identifiable and connected him with the murder and robbery, he said not a word. The prisoner, said Con- ■ noll.v. was most expensive in his habits ■of dross. ills hats were Stetson’s. ■ which cost perhaps a couple of guineas. Two photographs ol the. prisoner, taken ■ in Brisbane (one in 1908), where en- ‘ qniries have been set on loot by the police with a view to clearing up his ■ history, were shown the interviewer. The man always had plenty of money to spend, though he never seemed to , do any work, said the detective, in rc- ■ ply to a question. “Do you think it possible that ho had anything to do with the Kaiapoi murder?” The deteci five, said, “Oh, 1 don’t think so. The > murdered man had a £lO note felt on i him, aiid Eggers would not luive loft that behind.” The prisoner will probably not be 1 brought to trial until Hall can give ; evidence, and that will not be for some time, as the latter’s condition is still serious, though there are hopeful signs ■ of improvement. DID HE ENLIST? CHRISTCHURCH. Nov. 17. It is reported that when the main body of the New Zealand Expedition- ’ ary'Force was in Wellington a man 1 named William Frederick Eggers enlisted from Westland, and eventually was appointed batman to Bient.-Cblonel Douglas McLean Stewart, oiiicer commanding the Canterbury infantry Battalion. While in the force in Wellington, Eggers absented himself from his quarters on several occasion's, and ex- * ensed his conduct to Lieut.-Colonel Stewart by stating that he had tangled himself up with a woman. On October IG. 1914, the day on which the force sailed from Wellington. Eggers received permission to go ashore, and never returned. He left his belongings behind, including two revolvers. Some months afterwards, in Egypt, Colonel Stewart received a latter from Eggers, I who said he had given himself tip. to the I military authorities in Wellington, and had served a term of imprisonemnt on Somes Island, and eventually had been discharged from the forces, as his health had, broken down, and he was now penniless. He wanted Colonel Stewart to return his revolvers, which, lie said, were keepsakes. At the time of his arrest in Christchurch, Eggers possessed a military service registration card in the name of McMahon. It is said his parents resided in Adelaide, and came from America, and they were suited to bo of German extraction. Ii is not known here whether Eggers did actually give himself up and suffer imprisonment on Somes Island.