THE SEVERED HAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7681, 15 January 1886, Page 2

THE SEVERED HAND.

(united press association.) Masterton, January 14. During (he last day or two a rumor has been rife iu Masterton in connection with the Severed Hand Mystery. Howard was for some time in Masterton, and great interest Is naturally taken here in the affair, as it has gradually leaked out that he was what might be termed a corpse-hunter. He was employed in different ways in Masterton, but be drew general attention to himself by maKing a number of rather fruitless attempts to get on good terms with Mr T. Jago, a well-known undertaker. On the day of Mrs Rayner’s burial Howard bung about Mr Jago like a i shadow, aud though he did not create any suspicion he was certainly disliked. During one of bis visits to ihe shop tie obtained an empty varnish tin, and it Is generally supposed the only use he intended to put it to was to preserve whatever portion of the human body be could obtain possession of. The tin was given to him by Mr J ago. Howard directed suspicion against himself in Masterton by a number of acts. Among these, It is stated, he occasionally went bathing, in company, but be never wetted his head, presumably to preserve bis wig. More to the point is the fact that be was employed on a building contract for Mr Lowes, and that Messrs John and Walter Cameron wrote several letters for him. One of these was to his wife, and conveyed £2. So auspicious waa be that he would not allow the Utter to go through the post, but sent it down by someone be hid been introduced to Both the gentlemen named have been aubpco.msd to give evidence at the trial at Christchurch. The question as to how the hacd was obtained is in itself a sensation. Howard was undoubtedly looking .or something of the kind. Yesterday afternoon Detective O'Connor, win ctrao up specially from Christchurch, dropped across a man who. states that Howard off red him £lO if he would assist him in opening the grave of a man who bad died in the Hospital, and was accorded a Salvation funeral, his plea being that he felt sure thu deceased was an old friend whom be was noxious to recognise. Howard may or may not have been successful in obtaining the assistance of an accomplice, bub it is generally believed that he accomplished bis object in ' Masterton, and that the hand found ><n the beach at Sumner is a portion of ths body o! Mrs Rayner, who was buried here on the 25th November lastJudging by the photo of the band, the majority of the deceased lady's relations are of opinion that the hand is hers. When suspicion was directed to the idea of Mrs R*yner’s body having been mutilated, it was very naturally resolved to open the grave, but as the full consent of the trustees in her estate could not be obtained, the matter has been delayed, pending receipt of an order from the Colonial Secretary. This has now been obtained. It is a somewhat curious circumstance that the sexton, who did not quite complete his work of filling in the grave of Mrs Rayner on the 25th November, which was a general; holiday, found it had been completed for him when he returned to the cemetery on the morning of the following day.* He paid little attention to the fact, thinking'thAt some of the deceased lady's relatives bad done the work. There is little else to connect Howard with Masterton until Mrs Rayner’s body has been exhumed and examined. The photograph of the baud is said to show several marks by which it can be recognised as that of Mrs Rayner’s. There is a|scar on one of the fingers, which seems of itself sufficient to establish the identity, but it is also reported that medical men have recognised erysipelas in the hand, and it is a well-known fact that Mrs Rayner was suffering from that disease In her hand at the time of her death. It is probable that the police will solve the mystery so far as Masterton is concerned in the course of the day. The cemetery was watched all last night by a large number of persons, who expected the exhumation to take place, but were disappointed. Christchurch, January, 14. It has transpired that the body of a female lunatic, Mrs Waddle, who died iu the. Sunnyside Asylum early in October, and was buried in Addington Cemetery, was exhumed before daybreak on Monday last, to ascertain whether the severed band bad been obtained from it. The corpse, however, was not mutilated. Timabu, January 14. . The statement published in regard to Howard (of the band mystery) having sent a letter by band to his wife at Christchurch, is corroborated by soma information which recently reached the Timaru Herald on the subject. That paper is informed that a man, who will be probably called on as a witness, was working in the Wairarapa with Howard, who was then going under an assumed name, when the latter found out from him that he was going to Christchurch. Howard then asked him if be would take a letter for him, and he promised he would do so, Daring the conversation, the man referred to noticed that Howard bad lost the thumb of his right baud. He took the letter, but on his arrival at Christchurch forgot all about it for nearly a fortnight. It was addressed to 44 Mr ” Howard, and on going to the address given he found the place abut up. He ultimately traced out Mra Howard, who was by this time mourning the supposed loss of her husband, and gave her the letter. Subsequently, hearing ramors afloat about the case, and remembering the circumstances of the missing thumb, he communicated with the Christchurch police. This gave the first inkling as to th • whereabouts of the prisoner, and the Wellington police were at once pat upon his track, with the result that be was arrested under the circumstances now familiar to the public.