JAVA MYSTERY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12251, 24 September 1925, Page 5

JAVA MYSTERY

MURDER OF SYDNEY WOMAN NO MOTIVE KNOWN, AND NO CLUE NATIVE SERVANT SUSPECTED By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Reuter’s Telegram. WELTEVREDEN (Java), Sept. 22. Mrs Macfie arrived on September 13th, and went to stay at a village hotel at Garoet, a small health resort. She had dinner in the hotel on Friday evening, after which nothing was seen of her. The hotel manager on Saturday afternoon knocked at the door of her room, but received no answer. He forced an entry and found the body on the bed with many severe wounds in the. throat and arms. The lob&ery theory is considered untenable, because a beautiful wristlet watch and a purse containing 600 guilders remained untouched, though a pair of earrings and a small souvenir basket are missing. The watchman states tliat he saw a light in Mrs Macho's room at 3 o’olock on Saturday morning. The door was closed, while at & o’clock the door was open and the room dark. It is supposed that Mrs Macfie was murdered between these hours. A letter from an Australian whom Mrs Macfie had met at Batavia was found,, torn to fragments, in the room, but it' threw no light on the crime. A native hotel servant, upon whose clothing a few red spots were found, was arrested, and the. spots are being tested to ascertain if they are bloodspots.

The police are convinced that, owing to the methods used, the murder was not the work of a native. HUSBAND KNOWS NO MOTIVE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright SYDNEY, September 23. .Mr Maofie, referring to the death Of his wife, said that he was determined to use every means in his power to discover the motive for the crime. Recent letters from his wife indicated that she was enjoying her tour, and was eagerly looking forward to her return to Sydney. Mr Maofie said that : robbery could hardly be the motive. Mrs Maofie had little jewellery, and possibly £IOO in Cook’s circular notes. He could not understand why anybody should want to kill her, unless it was a Bolshevik, who might think that there was some virtue in removing the Consul’s wife.

AUSTRALIAN ARRESTED BLOOD ON HISHANDKERGHIEFS. ' Reuter's Telegram. (Received September 23, 11.25 p'.m.) WELTEVREDEN, September 23, Kirton, an Australian, suspected of the murder of Mrs Macfie, was arrested at Sourabaya aboard the steamer Tasman. Many bloodstained handkerchiefs were found in his possession. Kirton declares he is the director of a large Australian firm, and says the bloodstains were due to nose-bleeding. ’