LURED FROM A PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20740, 6 December 1930, Page 13

LURED FROM A PARK.

MURDER OF A GIRL.

CRIME IN VICJORIA.

ARREST OF A SUSPECT. •

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (Received December 5. 9.45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 5.

Detectives in all the States have covered thousands of miles in their search for the murderer of Mena Griffiths, aged 12, afc Bentleigh, near Melbourne, on November 8.

To-day Robert McMahon, aged 3(i, labourer, was arrested in • Sydney on a provisional warrant from Victoria, and charged with murder.

A chance visit to an unoccupied house in Wheatley Road, Oirmond, by two young men, on the afternoon of Sunday, November 9, revealed a revolting crime. Lying in the bathroom of the house the men found the body of a girl, who-had been murdered. She hail been gagged with a piece of her own clothing, and was only partly clad. Later the body was identified as that of Mena Griffiths, of Caroline Street, South Yarra, who, on the previous afternoon, had been enticed away, from Fawkner Park by a man. Mena, who was one of a family of 12, and who bad only recently arrived in Melbourne with her parents from Dandenonji, went to Fawkner Park on Saturday with her two sisters, Joyce, aged eight, and Daphne, aged six. About 3 p.m. they were approached by a man, whom Joyce Griffiths stated was of middle-age and wearing a blue suit and a bowler hat, who was frequently to be seen in the park. Mena was called by the man, and after lie had been speaking to her for a few minutes she began to walk away with 'Mm. A playmate of the girl ran up arid .isked her where she was going. The child replied: "I am going on a message," ind the strange man said"She is coming with me; she will be all right." Reassured, the children continued their ;a'me, while Mena and the man walked toward St. Ivilda.

When Joyce and Daphne 1 Griffiths returned home at 5 p.m. and told their parents what had occurred, Mr. Griffiths and his son William hurried to the p&"k. ■and made an exhaustive search without avail. At 8 p.m. Mr. Griffiths reported "the matter to the South Yarra police, and the usual description of the child was circulated and a broadcast message was sent out by wireless. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths waited all night, and were well nigh distracted next morning when no word had been heard.