GRAHAM’S HOUSE DESTROYED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 27 October 1941, Page 4

GRAHAM’S HOUSE DESTROYED

MYSTERIOUS NIGHT FIRE lIIDIOtT DISCOVERED ; The mysterious destruction by lire I last night of the house of Stanley Ora I ham, the Koiterangi killer, and the cli ■; cm, very of his hideout during the period or the manhunt were anti-climax sen ations at the \veck%id in thi: extra • ..••dinary episode. The lire occurred late on Saturday night, and the police are investigating. Detective Sergeant H K Knight. Sergeant E. Hay, and other police officers visited Koiterangi to-day to pursue inquiries. The residence own ed I>v Graham, a four loomed farm house, has been unoccupied since Bth October. Nothing was saved. Graham's hideout was found to be in a huge hollow bottom of a dead black pine tree, at the furthermost fringe of Oouyhbov Hill le to the rear oi Interviewed this morning Mr Henry Constables Quirkc and Ross when Graham was fatally shot, gave a detailed I description of the finding of cooking I utensil, and other articles in the I vicinity of and under the tree where I Graham had apparently spent a large portion of his 13 days of liberty ful I lowing the tragedies at his homestead. When Mr Growcott was making an inspection of his farm he noticed stock round the tree. His first discovery was of a large number of eggshells and a sack. lie also found that the burnt-nut. cavity under the base of the huge tree was about 6ft square, and there were indications of Graham having slept or rested there over a period of some days. Under the tree, which was ideally suited for concealment purposes with several . natural peep holes up to a height of 6ft or 7ft, were two small tins, a tea canister, recognised as that which was removed from Lindsay's home, a mug, two tea spoons and six pint enamel pots. Two baked potatoes in their jackets and further quantities of egg shells were also there. DEATHBED DISCLOSURES Preparations for starting a lire hud been made in the near vicinity of Bushward's behind an uprooted tree, but the fire had apparently gone out before it could be properly kindled. This suggested the possibility that Graham had eventually run out of matches. It was apparent, however, that he must have previously lit a fire elsewhere because he is known to have stated quite definitely on his deathbed at Westland Hospital that he had had plenty of food and had in fact treated himself to egg flips cooked in milk. The milk. Graham stated, he got by milking a quiet old cow in the vicinity. Destined not to remain a grim re- ! minder of the tragedy, the modern fourj roomed house of Graham has now been ( I effaced from the landscape. The house.' which is just opposite the hall, school j and church, was razed to the ground ! by a fire within a few minutes at 8.30 ! o'clock on Saturday night. The cause of the outbreak is unknown. Until Fri day night, a police guard was maintainJ cd on the property, but the arrival of I Mrs Graham's relatives was the signal | for handing over control of the property to them. When the outbreak occurred there was a keen wind blowing and the fire rapidly enveloped the house. Because of lack of water for fire-fighting. ! attempts to save the building would . have been futile. The house was built nine years ago and was in good order. All Uiat now remains is the chimney. 1 a stove at the rear of the building, and a mixture of twisted roofing iron. Other incidental buildings remain, including a , dilapidated cowshed within 30 or 40 feet of the home. CONDITION WHEN SHOT It is now revealed authoritatively that Graham was actually in a tottering state when shot. He was suffering severely from the accumulating effects of bloocl-poisoning, and it was consideri ed from a medical viewpoint that even ' had he not received the fatal bullet wounds, he could not have lived beyond a couple of days more. It is not yet known if the house was insured. Mr George Spence, one of the mainstays of the searchers and local Home Guardsmen in the manhunt, is con- | fined to his home indisposed from fatigue and the effects of lack of sleep. The condition of Mr G. S. Ridley, an agricultural inspector, who was shot in the hip by Graham on the first day of the tragedy, is unchanged.—P.A.