THE CAPE FOUL WIND OUTRAGE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 896, 3 May 1889, Page 27

THE CAPE FOUL WIND OUTRAGE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Westport, April 26. The residents of Cape Foulwind and Westport have been horrified by an occurrence of a most dastardly outrage at the Cape, a crime rendered more monstrons by the apparent lack of a motive. About five minutes! past 1 this morning the store building, near the granite quarry, occupied by Ballantyna Bros., and generally known as Wilkie’s store, was blown up with dynamite. Tha greater portion of tho building, the shop* part, is a perfect wreck. The debris is strewn about in all directions, the front; wall being blown on the railway embankment of the upper line leading to the granite quarry. Sheets of iron are perforated where tins of preserves were driven through them, and altogether the material of the building has been reduced to matchwood. The back portion of the building, consisting of one or two sleeping apartments for the manager of the store and his assistants, is left standing, but it is in such a condition that it will probably have to be pulled down. All the winV dows were blown out, and one of the bunksi was removed from its position. The nature, of the explosive employed in creating this fearful havoc is indicated by the discovery of the remains of a fuse, and also by the indentation in the ground usually caused by the downward strike of dynamite. This hole is near the front of the building. Four persons were in bed in the building when the explosion occurred, and they had a. most providential escape, all the inmates being unhurt. The two Ballantynes. and a third man were in bed in the rear of the building, and the bedclothes of one of them was burnt around him, but he remained uninjured. A boy was sleeping on the floor in the shop alongside the partition, and he was covered with wreckage, but sustained no husk Brown, the contractors’timekeeper, usually slept in the front part of the store, but last night he was elsewhere. The building was the property of Jules Simon, of Westport, and was worth about £7O. It was rented to Ballantyne Bros. The sound of the explosion roused tha inhabitants in the immediate neighbourhood, and was heard fully half a mi'e off. A special engine came up to town about 3 a.m., and took down Sergeant Barrett and Constable Watt, who are making diligent inquiries as to the author of the outrage and the reasons for the committal of such jv dreadful deed. The identity of the person who committed the crime and the motive are alike enshrouded in mystery, and ifc would be useless to produce the variousj speculations indulged in. The Union official^

and the people of Cape Foulwind generally express themselves in terms of the strongest indignation at the cowardly act.