THE WAIROA ASSAULT AND ROBBERY CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8529, 1 April 1891, Page 5

THE WAIROA ASSAULT AND ROBBERY CASE.

DEATH OF VEITCH. Yesterday afternoon Inspector Broham received a telegram stating that the old man William Veitch, a settler in the Wairoa South district, who was murderously assaulted and robbed on the night of the 22nd March, had died at a quarter-past four o'clock. Detective Chrystal went up to the district on Wednesday to make inquiries concerning the outrage, and on Friday evening he deemed it advisable to come to Auckland to consult Inspector Broham, and under instructions take the accused Fry, alias Floyd, who had been remanded to Mount Eden Gaol on a charge of assault and robbery, up to the Wairoa again, in order that ho might bo available on tho Monday morning if it were found necessary to takeVeitch's depositions. Accordingly on Saturday evening the detective and the prisoner went up by train. On the Sunday Veitch, who was attended by Drs. Carolan and Bews, appeared to be slightly improving; but on the Monday morning it was deemed advisable to take his dying depositions before -Captain Crawford and Mr. James 8011, J.P.'s. Veitch fully identified accused as the man who was at his place on tho date abovenamed. He had known accused by the sobriquet of " Tho Mexican," and he had worked for Veitch a month previously, and he had had several conversations with him, and knew his voice. Veitch also identified the watch as his property. The old man gradually got worse, and died, as above, yesterday. Detective Chrystal brought down accused yesterday morning to Mount Eden Gaol again. A post mortem will be made to-day on the remains of Veitch, and an inquest will bo held in due course.