MURDER IN A FLAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17144, 25 April 1919, Page 6

MURDER IN A FLAT.

THE SYDNEY THAGEDY, MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES " Further details of the murder of Hugo Tuck in Sydney, on April VI, and in connection with which a New Zoalander, named Doyle, has been arrested, came to hand by yesterday's mail. The murder took place in a flat in Elizabeth Street, 1 and when Hie police arrived they found Tuck unconscious. He died shortly cftujC reaching the hospitaL Hie proprietor of the flat, Mrs. Fitzi patrick, took the victiro's breakfast to bis ; room at nine o'clock, when he was ip hi# usual good health. At the time there! was in the room a youth of about 191 years. She did not know him, but it w-i not uncommon for Tuck to have vini< i tors, and she took no no'.ice of this one.. At that time it was remarked that the* norniug paper had not arrived, and thai visitor 6aid, " Oh! I'm going out in a minute; I'll get a paper and bring it> back." Mrs. Fjtzpatrick docs not remem* ber that anything else was said then, and sho left the men together. At about eleven o'clock the maid, Mabel Julian, was surprised to see water running down the stairs from Tuck's roomii, and went up to ascertain th? cause. She found the bathroom Hooded, and noticed that the tap was still run' ning. Sho turned this iff, and called fen *'.«) tenant of the roomi. to inquire as to why he had allowed the bath to ruit over. She got no reply, and miiing mi entry to the room, found Tuck lying on the floor at the foot of Hie bed. ' He was not in his regular sleeping room, buy in what he called his spare room. It> was seen that he bad he ti injured, and tho police were commun.cated with. Stains in the room indicated that the murderef had washed his hands in the bath. Though it is not supposed that robbery was the motive, for rings on the lingers of the injured man were not removed, it is remarkable that an attempt had own made to force open a leather trunk in which were found, subsequently, letters, money, and jewellery. The instrument used on the trunk was a screwdriver, but the person using this may havo been aisturbed and left before ho succeeded in getting the trunk open. One of the rings on the finger of the dead man was worth about £80, and there were others. If robbery had been the motive it is likely these would havo been the first valuables to be secured by tiio murderer. The body was found behind the door of the room, lying face downward, and from the injuries it would appear that the unfortunate man had been struck a heavy blow with some blunt instrument, tho effect of which was the fracture of his skull and bis instant unconsciousness. No one in the building seems to have noted the going out of the early visitor I of Tuck. But it is considered that if Sa wont out, as ho said he was going, to get a paper, he did not return. Had ho come back within an hour he must havo found the man where he fell after being' struck down. It is considered likely that he left, and possibly another may havo entered after ho had gone. An element of mystery is added by the intrusion of a dog, of which no one in the house knows anything except that it does not bolong to anyone in the flat, j and had not been seen there until it was found by the police in the room in which the man was. The animal is a well-bred fox terrier, and carries a leather collar. The lettering on this may assist the police. The dog is now in "the hands of the officers in charge of the ease, and may turn out to be a valuable link in the chain to be forged. It is stated that after the body was romoved to the hospital a letter addressed to a dignitary of one of tho churches was found in the room in which the tragedy was enacted. On this were instructions that it was to be delivered to the addressee in tho event of anything untoward happening to the writer. The instructions wero carried out, and the letter was delivered by order of the police.