A Murder Mystery.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXIV, Issue 7492, 15 April 1899, Page 4

A Murder Mystery.

ALLEGED CONFESSION OF A DYING MAN.

A ramor has gained currency to the cffict that a man when dying in the ! Sydney Hospital recently confessed to a doable mnrder that was committed ia Queensland 17 years ago. The crime was never brought home to anybody, and after the police had been investigating for about p.s long as they have been engaged In attempting to elucidate the Gatton tragedy, and with as little success, the matter dropped. This crime was committed on Friday, 29th April, 1881. the victims being" 1 Mr and Mra Edward Jarvis, of Granville. Mr Jarvis had owned a large dairy farm some five miles distant from Maryborough, known as Cobragove, and on this Friday morning he had, with hia wife, driven into the township to transact some business. Their movements in the town were easily traced, and, among other things, it was proved that they had obtained a parcel of drapery from a certain storekeeper. They left Maryborough at about 4.30 In the afternoon, and as they were returning home they called at a place on the outskirts of the town for the purpose of telling a man who lived there that a cow of his had found Us way to Cobragove. Ths man ssid he vould send his boy for it oil the following morning. That appears to have been the last seen of Mr and Mrs Jarvis alive, for when the boy went for the cow next morning he was horrified to see the dead body of Mrs Jarvis lying on the ground jast inside the gate that gave access to the farm. He immediately rode back to Maryborough, and reported his discovery to the police, and no time was lost in sending them to the spot to investigate. An examination of the dead body showed that Mrs Jarvis had her throat cat open from ear to ear, and" the back of her head had been cat open with a tomahawk. Some distance away in the neighboring bush the vehicle in which Mr and Mrs Jarvis had driven was foand jammed in between a couple of saplings. The horse was still In the shafts. In the trap was the dead body of Mr Jarvis, the back of head was split open. No suspicion attached to anyone, and no motive for the crime presented itself to the police. In rhe pockets of the murdered man was ' foand some L 3 in money, together with other valuables. The only thing missing was the parcel of crapery, of which mention has been made. At first it was thought that the deed was the work of Kanakas, but several things combined to do away with this theory. Another theory was advanced at the time of the murder. Mr Jarvis was ahoat 34 years of age, and his wife 29. They bad no children, and in the event of their death the •••• h -.o ;i their property wtmld pass to a « tive, so it way thought joat pos<ii'le t!:-u he had been concerned In the crime, but there was not one skein of incriminating evidence against him, and in due time the

property was handed over to him, and he sold it afterwards,, going to live in Melbourne. His death, it is stated, took place there some six years ago.