The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1866. THE MAUNGATAPU MURDER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 93, 22 June 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1866. THE MAUNGATAPU MURDER.

Since our last publication, some progress has been made in the discovery of traces of the four lost men. Yesterday evening information was brought to Nelson that Mr. Owens, of the Mitre lun, had discovered the horse, and that James Martin, the half-caste who accompanied him, had found a gun aud ' swag. Mr. Owens knew the horse well, from having seen it frequently at his house, at which°Mi\ John Kempthorn stopped, wheu he came to Nelson. The horse was found dead, about 50 feet at the bottom of a bank, down which it had been tumbled, and covered with trees and fern branches. Three swags were fastened to the pack-saddle on its back. Dudley's swag was found by Martiu, a short distance from the spot where the horse was found. The horse had been shot in the head with a bullet. Whilst the search is prosecuted with the greatest alacrity and earnestness, a fear is expressed that the bodies may have been throwu into the Pelorus river, which would greatly diminish, if not totally destroy, the chance of their discovery. The crossing of the range, however, to arrive at the river, must have taken time and trouble, which it is not likely the murderers could spare. If they had not time to untie the swags, they had not time to cross the mountain in question. The mystery will probably be solved iv a short time ; in fact, every person .who arrives iv Nelson from the spot, is expected to be the bearer of the intelligence that the bodies of the murdered men have beeu recovered from the hiding place iv. which the dastardly assassins placed them. It is to be devoutly hoped that a stop will soou be put to the suspense in which the' public mind has beeu so long kept. It is believed that the men now in custody here, are connected with the murder of Mr. Dobson, at the Grey, and evidence tending to this end, is in possession of the police ofNelsoa and the West Coast. Descriptions of the men who dogged Mr. Fox at the Arnold, have been forwarded to the Nelson police, who on examining the men iv gaol, found the marks on them to correspond with the description.^ About the description of Noon the sailor, there can -be "no mistake. The gunshot wound on the back of Burgess, is a mark as fatal to h«n as was that on Cain. The following are the descriptions, as furnished by the Canterbury police : — Eichurd Burgess, alias Hall, 36 years of age, 5 feet i\ inches high ; fresh complexion ; brovn hair, hazel byes. Gunshot wound on back. Thomas Kelly, alias Hannon, alias Noon; 39 years of age; 5 feet s£ inches high; sallow complexion; brown hair, hazel eyes; face wrinkled. Marked with a mermaid and sailor on right arm; and mermaid, sailor, and two women on left arm; crucifix on breast. John Joseph Sullivan; 50 years of age; 5 ieet 6 inches high; fair complexion; stout build;- short brown hair, inclined to grey; long face, square forehead, blue eyes, firm mouth, small pair whiskers, no moustache; broad shoulders. Has the appearance of an old hand. William, alias Phil Levy; 40 years of age; an Englishman: 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high; black hair and whiskers; dark eyes; long nose, hooked— Jewish. *» Whilst due credit should be given to the police of this province, who have been most indefatigable in their exertions to detect these criminals, equal praise should be awarded to those who set the police in motion. It appears that Mr. John Kempthorn always stopped at the house of Mr. Owens, in Bridge-street, when he came to Nelson. On the night the party disappeared, they had engaged to take tea at Mr. Owen's house. At this house M'Gee stopped, and excited suspicion from the moment of his coming. He came dirty and ragged, and soon appeared in good clothes. He was, at first, without money; lie then said he had met with a lucky mate, the sailor Kelly (alias Noon), who put him ia possession of money. He gave Mr. Owens £50 to keep for him afterwards, and said he had lost a chamois leather

bag of nuggets. His conversation with Noon, overheard in the house, led to the suspicion that he knew something about the murder. It singularly happened that there was stopping at the house at this time a young . mau, a sailor, who came in the Wallaby from the West Coast with M'Gee and Noon. ' He was able to identify the latter, in consequence of a quarrel he had with him, aud was thus enabled to dispute the account they gave of their whereabouts previous to the time of turning up in Nelson. M'Gee liad a pair of trousers much too small for him, which, it is believed, belonged to Mr. Dobson. It was when M'Gee asked for his money back, and made signs of leaving the toAvn, that Mr. .Owens thought it time to arrest him. He laid a plan aud arranged with, the police, so that both M'Gee and Noon were taken like rats in a trap, at the moment "when they least expected it. M'Gee, when taken, was in the act of drinking a glass of wine. " The glass fell from his hand, his face turned deadly pale, and he presented every appearance of a guilty man. The latest intelligence from where the search is being prosecuted is, that a shirt, a double-barrel gun, and a long-handled shovel have been found.' The shirt can be identified as belonging to one of the prisoners. At least 70 men are now engaged in the search. They are out in parties, each party under a leader who understands the bush. Every gully is being thoroughly searched, and a communication is kept up between the leaders of the parties. The searching parties are taking each side of the hill, and the men are determined not to leave the place till they find the bodies. Four pack-horses laden with provisions went up to-day, and five more will to-morrow.