THE WAIKATO MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7539, 19 January 1886, Page 5

THE WAIKATO MYSTERY.

! [FROM GTTR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Cambridge, Monday. Detective Jones, of Aaokland, who his been engaged in investigating what is known as the Waikato or Churchill mystery, is, it is stated, of the opinion that the evidence tends rather to the identification of Henry Clements, the contractor, with the corpse found at Churchill, than with the still missing man Jimmy Dun bar. It will be remembered that about three months ago Clements left here in difficulties, and left a letter behind him stating that he was tired of life, and that his body would be found down at " the booms " (on the river at Cambridge) before long. This was laughed at at the time as pure braggadocio, and it was said he had ridden overland to Napier, and it was also said that he had since been seen in Hamilton, but this was his brother, who had been mistaken fcr him. .There are some circumstances which support the new theory that the body is that of Clements. It was stated by Dr. Dalziel at the inquest that the body had been about a month or two months in the water. Now a body remaining in the Waikato River anywhere below Cambridge that time would have been nearly consumed by fish and eels, but this was not the case, the face only having been slightly nibbled by fish. Now, in the upper river above Cambridge there are no eels, and the probability is that the drowning took place in the upper parts of the river, the body for some time being detained there by snags or rocks before getting away down below Cambridge. .The inexcusable oversight of neglecting to have the corpse photographed before the post mortem . examination was made, has given endless trouble to the police, and may be the cause of this mystery never being cleared up.