ROBBERY THE MOTIVE

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11662, 29 October 1923, Page 7

ROBBERY THE MOTIVE

MURDERER LIES IN WAIT I ___ BATTERS OATES INSENSIBLE. CONDITION OF INJURED MAN. (Special to “New Zealand Times.”) WANGANUI, October 28. , Tlie murderer was apparently well acquainted with the movements of Mr and Mrs Oates. When daylight cam© on Saturday, the police were able to make a detailed search of the house wlioro the murder was committed, and they came to the conclusion that Mrs Oates was. attacked while in the kitchen, where she was preparing supper, and was evidently waiting for her husband to come home. TAKEN BY SURPRISE. It is surmised that the murderer enjtered the house quietly, taking Mrs Oates completely by surprise, hitting her over the head as she sat in her chair, ar;d splitting her ekull open. There were pools of blood about the kitchen, and m one of them some brains were found. The body had then been dragged to a spare bedroom and left on the floor, with a towel tied round the head, presumably to serve as a gag. VICTIM DIES. A little Skye terrier was also lying in the room in a daaed state, having no doubt been struck by the miscreant in order to prevent it gaving an alarm. Mrs Oates died the same night as the result of her terrible injuries. She had loft the store some time before her husband ; and. it is thought that the murderer attacked her in the anticipation that she had brought home with her the takings from the store. LYING IN WAIT. Finding that he was mistaken in this, he dragged her out of the way and then lay In wait for her husband, who apparently quite unsuspectingly walked into The trap. Mr Oates followed his usual plan of walking round the houso and placing his bicycle on the back verandah; and, ae he stepped towards the kitchen door to open it, the murderer, standing in the dark near the door of the wash-house a few feet away, struck him down, and robbed him. and decamped with the money —upwards of £IOO it is supposed. SEARCHING COMMENCES. Both the local police and the detectives who were at once summoned from Wellington, have boen searching ever since; but, so far as can be ascertained without result. No clue whatever has been die-covered, they state; nor lias the weapon—apparently a heavy piece of iron—been discovered, though the police have hunted high and low for it. MUCH CURIOSITY. A good deal of morbid curiosity wad shown by the general public, larfte numbers of whom visited the scene of the crime. The funeral of Mrs Oates took place yesterday at Palmerston North, rh* | having been a daughter of Mr and Mrs Henry, restaurant-keepers, of that to.wn. INJURED MAN’S CONDITION. Mr Oates, who was removed to the Wanganui Hospital, suffering from 'Serious injuries to the head, arms, and log, was reported yesterday to be progressing favourably. ROBBERY THE MOTIVE. It appears that on Friday evening Mrs Oates visited her husband at the store, and later left for home. Mr Oates, after closing the store, also started for home, carrying with him the cash takings for the day. Mr Oates reached the back of his houso, where, in the dark, an unknown assailant felled him to the ground with a 6a.vage blow from some blunt weapon. Several blows followed, and lie waft beaten into an unconscious state. When he came to his senses, ho found the money and his assailant had vanished. Mr Oates struggled to a neighbour’s houso, and then, with assistance, returned and entered his own home. AN AWFUL DISCOVERY. In the passage leading through the house, thev found Airs Oates suffering from desperate injuries, the brain protruding through the skull. It was evident that she had been struck down with a blunt weapon, and dragged eome distance along the floor. Evidently her assailant thought that she would have had the takings from the a tore with her, but finding that she had not, he then waited for her husband at the back door. An Irish terrier had also been attacked hy tho cowardly murderer. The little animal was lying unconscious when the police arrived, but came to a couple of hours later. Steps wore at one© taken to convey Mrs Oates to tho district hospital, where she was admitted in a low state just before midnight. »Shc died at 12.50 p.m., her case being hopeless from the outlet. SEARCH FOR THE MURDERER,

The police were quickly notified, and Superintendent Fouhv, with DetectiveSergeant D. Cameron and Constables Strnffcn, R. Wilson, Sim, and Ikirtou, were quickly at tho scene of the tragic

happening, the house being 247, Somme parade. The night was dark and wot, and Mr Oates could give no particulars of the man who was responsible for the crime. MU OATES’S INJURIES. Mr Oates was later taken to the district hospital, where it was found that he had received severe injuries to the head, nrni6, and one leg. It- is surmised that both lie and liis wife were struck with an iron bar, or some similar weapon. NO TRACE OF CRIMINAL. It was evident that the criminal had lost- no time in getting away from the house with his booty. The amount of cash, including cheques, that Mr Oates wa6 carrying, is supposed to amount to over £IOO, but the exact amount will not he known until Mr Oates has more fully recovered. SEARCH FOR FINGER-PRINTS. The police searched the house, and there appeared evidence that it had been ransacked. Superintendent Fouhy got in touch with headquarters at Wellington, with the result that Chief-Detective Kemp and a finger-print expert were dispatched at once.. The house was put under guard, and nothing will be interfered with until a detailed inspection can be made..