THE QUEENSLAND MURDERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1404, 26 January 1899, Page 32

THE QUEENSLAND MURDERS.

AN IMPORTANT CLUE. Brisbane, January 18. A waistcoat mended in a peculiar fashion has been found near ibe scene of the murder of the lad MiT, nc3r iN'nu.lah. and is regarded as an important clue. Brisbane, January 19. Richard Burgess, who is in custody on suspicion of being concerned in the Gatton murder, as well as on other chary is, has been remanded to Toowoomba for eight days on a charge of stealing a saddle. It i 3 reported that a woman resident at Gatton has informed tho city police authorities that she heard shots fired ... night of tho murder, and that > 'dug two men, whom she can ! aided at her house and asked ork and then for food. , : i , man adds that she then went fo the scene of the murder, discovered the bodies, and replaced a portion of the dress of one of the deceased girls. She says tho men in question are well known in the district, and fear prevented her from saying anything earlier. She came to Brisbane in preference to informing the local police. The story told by the Gatton woman is discredited by the police.

Brisbane, January 23. The magisterial inquiry as to the Gatton murder will be begun to-morrow. The police have already taken over 3000 statements in connection with the case.

_ It is reported that an empty cartridge similar to that found at Gatton has been discovered near the scene of the murder of the lad Hill, at Nundah. The latest police theory is that, after

the Gatton murder was committed, one of the perpetrators increased his chances of immunity from arrest by shooting his accomplice. Black trackers are vigorously searching for the body. The polico authoritatively deny that the body of Michael Murphy was mutilated. THE EYES OF THE VICTIMS. The suggestion that the human eye retains an impression of the last object which it rested upon, and that a photographic examination of the eyes of the unfortunate victims of the Gatton tragedy might lead to the clearing up of the mystery, meets with no encouragement from the medical faculty, says a Sydney paper. Dr W. Odiilo Maher, the ophthalmic surgeon, when spoken to on the matter by a reporter, simply shook his head, and said, *• There’s nothing in it.” Dr Janies Graham, M.L.A., characterised the theory as “ mythical—absolute rubbish/’ "Though there is some justification for the suggestion of such a theory,” said Dr Philip E. Muskett, “ the idea has long ago been proved fallacious as regards its value in such cases as that which occurred at Gatton. Henry Power, M. 1)., F.R C.S., who is ophthalmic surgeon to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, and a recognised authority on all matters affecting the eye,” continued Dr Muskett, “ has discountenanced tho theory. He says: r lt is impossible not to recognise tho similarity that the eye, as a whole, presents to a photographic apparatus. The globe itself is a camera obseura, from which rays of light are excluded, other than those passing through a lens, which are destined to form a picture of the outer world on the retina. The retina is a sensitised plate, upon which the picture is received, the lights bleaching it rapidly, while the shadows produce but slight changes in it. In health, however, there is no fixing of the image, and retaining it for future use. If retained at all, the picture is retained

on the tablets of the brain, whence it may be recalled by an act of memory. But xnat the bleaching action really occurs has been demonstrated by placing the eye of a rabbit with widely dilated pupil before a window. Then, the animal being quickly killed, and tne retina ex> sed under monochromatic light, the mmge has been fixed by plunging it into a little weak alum and water. Thus, after the lapse of even a day or two, if preserved from tho light, the retina lias exhibited tlio cross bars of the window. This experiment gave rise to the absurd shi-v currcnt some years ago to the c ii'e.-i ' h .t in cases of murder, (lie assailant mig.i'. he recognised by tiie image preserved on the retina of the victim. It will, however, be seen from ti c above that it would be necessary that the light of day should ho immediately excluded, and that special measures be adopted to preserve the picture.’ I am therefore afraid,” concluded Dr Muskett, " that tbe perpetrators of the Gatton murders will not be discovered in that manner. In such a case, however, it is worth while to inquire into every suggestion put forward, and, though the eye theory was exploded some years ago, it certainly justified investigation.”