News of the Day.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXV, 23 June 1866, Page 2

News of the Day.

THE SUSPECTED MUEDEKS ON THE MAUNGATAPU.

We stated in our isßue on Thursday, all the circumstances connected with the mysterious disappearance of Messrs. Mathews, Kempthorne, Dudley, and Pontius, in crossing the Maungatapu, on their way to Nelson, that were known up to the preceding evening. Since then, the search for their bodies has been conducted with the greatest activity, by a strong constabulary force, and fifty or sixty volunteers, whose expenses are being borne by public subscription. Although the bodies of the missing men — of the murder of whom there can now be no doubt — have not yet been found, they can scarcely remain much longer hidden, if the search now making is prosecuted with the vigour which has characterized it during the last three days. We stated that, on Wednesday, the horse which the men had hired to carry their packs to Nelson had been tracked ; on the following morning a dog belonging to a half-caste named Martin, discovered the carcase of the animal which lay at the bottom of a steep bank below the road, which is formed by a sidecutting out of the mountain. The horse was hidden with branches of trees and other herbage, and was found to have been shot in the head. The packs which the horse had been carrying were still strapped to his back, save a pormanteau, which had been taken and broken open. All these packs were removed from the dead animal and were brought into Nelson yesterday, together with the bullet which had caused the horse's death. The fruits of the search of yesterday, were a double barrelled gun, a long-handled shovel, and a Crimean ehirt, which it is said was worn by Levy when at Deep Creek on the previous Sunday. Tracks of the supposed murderers have been found in the old road over the mountain ; which is about a quarter of a mile above the present road, but whether these were made before or after the supposed murder cannot be said. All that is really known of ihe movements of the two parties of men is this : — The four men in custody, supposed to be the murderers, left Canvas Town, Wakamarina, at daylight on Tuesday, the 12th instant, and they were seen on the road to Nelson about nine o'clock in the morning, and again near the foot of the Maungatapu late in ihe afternoon, and in that neighbourhood no doubt they camped for the night, while their victims put up at the Felorus Bridge, about seven miles from the Maungatapu. The Etart which the former had on the road gave them ample time to form their plans and select their ground, and the road which winds up the side of the Maungatapu for five miles is not wanting in spots every way suited for their dark designs. About a mile and a-half up the mountain, which is chiefly wooded, is a piece of open ground, that bears the name of " Franklyn's Flat," from a publican of that name having erected an accommodation tent there during the rußh to the Wakamarina gold-fields. The place is now untenanted, but when Mr. Birrell reached the spot on Wednesday, the 13th, at from half-past twelve to one o'clock, he found the men ftova Bees Creek sitting there v eating their dinner^ and their pack-horse eating a feed of oats they had brought with them, out of a box which had been left fixed there, and formerly used by Franklyn to feed the horses of travellers. It was Mr. Birrell's intention to have there fed the horse he was riding, as he had oats with him, but finding the box en* gaged, he determined to push on to Dwyer*!,

at the foot of the mountain on the Nelson side, that being the nearest place of residence. Mr. Birrell entered for a few minutes into conversation with Kenipthorne, whom he knew well, and on leaving Franklyn's Flat, he met, a short distance in the bush, a man and woman, who were the last persons of whom we have any account a* having seen the missing travellers. A mistake was committed in saying | that Birrell met the men now in custody after leaving Franklyn'* Flat. He did not do so, but had seen them on the road on h« way down the previous week. After riding about twenty minute* at a steady walk, Birrell mrt Mr. Bown, who was proceeding to the Pelorus on horseback, and tho latter passed over the road without seeing the travellers Birrell had so lately parted company with, nor, in fact, did he. see any other men. A consideration of theso facts, which we have taken trouble to collect, and can vouch as being ■trictly true, show clearly that the men must havo been atuck up shortly after the man and woman had got out of hearing, a* an interval of not more than half an hour could have elapsed between the time they passed the missing travellers, and tho time when Mr. Bown reached the spot where he would have met them had they been on the road. The probability is, the outrage was committed cloae to where the body of the horse was found, and that, having disposed of the horse by shooting it and throwing it down the ravine, the unfortunate men were marched into the bush, and silence enjoined under a threat of violence. Once removed a sufficient distance from the track to be out of hearing, the victims might havo been kept quiet until evening, then marched off to a considerable distance, and there put out of the way. We doubt very much "whether the bodies will he found in proximity to the spot where the men were attacked. It will be necessary, wo think, to continue the search further aOeld, and even to examine the pools of the Pelorus at the confluence of the Herings, to which the men might easily have been led, although their bodies could not have been so well carried there. The time to dispose of the bodies was not long. The men must have been assaulted a little after one o'clock on Wednesday, and on Thursday evening their suspected murderers reached Nelson j and from Franklyn's Flat the distance ia sixteen milea — nearly five hours' walking. Unleas success attend* the search today, we would coumel that the Pelorus, at the foot of the Maungatapu, be examined, and that a wider range of search he instituted. The publio who have subscribed so liberally for the work, both in time and money, will not readily slacken it* efforts until success is achieved. An excellent working committee has been formed in town, who are collecting subscriptions, and forwarding supplies daily to the camps on the Maungatapu. Tent*, bUnketi, provisions, everything that men require in the buah, have been forwarded for the use of thoae who, to the number of sixty or seventy, have volunteered their time and services to unravel the myatery which at present hangs over the fate of four of our fellow-colonists. There are so many circumstances which point to the men in cuttody as being the guilty parties, that we apeak of them as such without reserve. The behaviour of the men at the Wakamarina ; the sudden and unexplained possession by each of a considerable sum of money ; the care they took, after reaching Nelson, to separate and disavow any knowledge of each other ; their behaviour since they were arrested ; and the knowledge that they are the four men who planned the murder of Fox, the gold-buyer at the Grey, and who, there is little doubt, murdered Mr. Dob'ion in mistake — leaves little question in the mind of any one as to their guilt. We should mention that a telegram forwarded to the Canterbury papers on Wednesday evening, giving the names of the four men who had been arrested on suspicion of being guilty of the Maungatapu murder, led the Government of that province to telegraph to the authorities here on Thursday morning, giving a description of the men suspected as being guilty of Mr. Dobson'a murder, with a request to be informed whether the men in custody answered the description, as the names of two of them agreed. We give the description furnished : — Riohard Bargeu, alicu Hall, thirty-six yean of age, five feet four and a-hali inchet, freih complexion, brown hair, hazel eyei ; gunthot wound on back. ThomM Kelly, alias Hannon, alias Noon, thirty.nine yean of age, five feet fire and a-half inchet high, fallow complexion, brown hair, haiel eyes, face wrinkled ; narked with a mermaid and tailor on right arm, and mermaid, tailor, and two women on left arm, crucifix on brent. John Joseph Bullivan, fifty yean of age, five feet six inchet Ugh, fair complexion, ttout build, thort brown hair inclined to frvy, lonr face, Mju»r« fbrvbead, bine er«, JSrcn nzouth, sm»ll pair wbi»ers, no moiuUche, brood tbonkten; has the appearance of an old hand. William, aliai Phil Levy, forty yean of age, an Englishman, Are ftet tix or teven inchet high, black hair and whiskers, dark tyet, long note, hooked — Jewish. An examination of Burgess and Kelly revealed them to be the men sought after ; Sullivan was identified by one who had known him in another place, and about the identity of Levy there could be no doubt. It ia also believed that amongst the apparel which one of the men threw aside on getting his new rig out in Nelson, there is a pair of trousers that belonged to Mr. Dobson. If these can be identified, it will be an important link in the chain of evidence against them. The knowledge thst the body-marks had been recognized on Burgess and Kelly, appeared to act strongly on the feelings of the whole party, for although confined in separate celle in the Lock-up, they are able to converse with each other, but only in the hearing of the Constable in charge. The circumstance of the men from Deep Creek having auch a quantity of luggage with them, is explained by their being on their way to Nelson in order to take their passages to the West Coaßt, which they had agreed to visit in company.