LURED AWAY

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1924, Page 5

LURED AWAY

BARBARIC ATROCITY.

YOUNtJ BOY MURDERED.

MOTHER FINDS BODY,

(Received 11.35 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, .This Day.

, Mutilated in a shocking manner, the body of Archie Mouat, nine and a-half years of age who disappeared at Springvale on Saturday last, was found by his mother., who had assisted in the search for the boy.

In company with his brother Ivan the boy Archie set out to gather gum leaves in Springvale, Cemetery. After proceeding distance Archie said fhat he felt tired and would wait till lis brother returned with the leaves. While the boys were talking a motor car drew up and a man alighted and spoke to them. Ivan walked on. After lie had covered 100 yards be turned round and saw Archie conversing with the man, but thought nothing of this at the time. When he returned in less than 10 minutes Archie, the motor car, the stranger and all had disappeared. Several hours later, when Archie failed to appear, Ivan told his mother of the occurrence and she reported it to the police. The body was found in the Dandenong Creek in about a foot of water. There were several bruises on the legs and head. The body was completely unclothed. The mother is the widow of a member of the A.T.F. The clothes of the dead boy were found in the boiler-house at the Sandown race course, half a mile from the spot where the body was found. It is believed that the body was mutilated previous to death and that the boy was drowned. The police are hampered in their investigations owing to the site of the tragedy being inundated to a depth of six feet through heavy rains since the outrage occurred. A curious feature is that the site where the body was found and also the boiler-house were examined on Sunday. The searehers are positive that neither the body nor the clothes were there then. —A. and N.Z.