OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10037, 1 May 1894, Page 3

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

(Fbom Our Own Cobeespondent.)

Melbourne, April 24-. DASTARDLY MURDER IN NEW SOUTH

WALES. A BANK MANAGER SHOT.

A terrible murder took place on Wednesday last week in the township of Barraba, which is in the far north of N6W South Wales, about 60 miles fromTamworth. Two armed men rode up about half-past 1 o'clock in the day and, entering the branch bank of the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, obtained an interview with the manager and sole officer in charge, Mr W. C. M'Kay, and shot him dead. It was at first thought that Mr M'Kay had attempted to defend himself with the bank revolver, but that weapon has since been found in n flupboard, so that this belief was incorrect. Mrs M'Kay had been extremely unwell for a fortnight, and was enjoying hiv first meal since her recovery with her husband in their dining room, when he was called into the banking chamber by the robbers. The door had been left open, that he might have a fall view of that apartment, and as he entered it he latched the door behind him. Mrs M'Kay then hoard an altercation between her husband and the strangers. The words which reached her seemed to indicate that her husband was refusing some request, for she heard her husband say, " No ; not if I die for it." Instantly afterwards there came the sound of men struggling, followed by the snap of a revelver shot. Mrs M'Kay, who had been attracted to the door by_ the noise of wrangling and struggling, tried in vain to open it that she might enter tho bank, but failing j this she called out loudly for help. Her shrieks .were answered by a bullet shot sent through the door, evidently with the object of silencing her. Nothing daunted, however, eho again called out, and another ballet was sent crashing through the woodwork. She then rushed outside, calling out, "Murder I Mr M'Kay is shot, and the bank is being robbed I" Her outcry must have alarmed the robbers, for they decamped. A' 9 they passed out of the building one of the men covered her with his revolver, but she took no notice of this and continued to scream. I Directly afterwards she rushed inside again, j and found the dining room door leading into the bank open. On the floor of the banking chamber her husband was lying'on his baok, breathing Tiis last, the bullet fired at him having passed through his head. Help quickly arrived, and immediately precautions were taken to guard the gold, silver, and cheques which were lying on the bank room table;

Amongst those who were attracted to the bank by the outcry were a Mr Tamer and a Mr Sinclair. The former saw the two men coma out and unhook their horses, which were tied to a fence outside the bank. They mounted

the horses, and as he got close to them one of thorn pointed a revolver at him. He dodged round the building, and when he got on the other side the men were a hundred yards away. He could identify one of the men, who rode a brown horse, bat not the other, who was mounted on a chestnut. Mr Sinclair, who is a butcher, saw both men distinctly, and could recognise them. One of them pointed a revolver at him also. At the time of the outrage, tbe police sergeant and constable were away from the township, and, strange to say, as they were returning they met the two men about eight miles out. They were riding at a gallop, and the police thought thsy were drovers.

The banking chamber showed signs of a terrible struggle, which seemed to have taken

plaoe across the counter, as an ink bottle was

upset, and there were splashes of ink all about the floor and on the counter. On the floor was portion of a beard. The robbers (for no doubt robbery must have been their motive) were not able to secure any booty. All the bank c»&h

was found untouched. Mrs M'Kiy's cor.tiaued outcry evidently alarmed the men, who had to leave hurriedly; and the jury at tbe inquest commended her conduct, as had it not been for her bravery the bank would have suffered a heavy loss. A man was arrested on suspicion on Saturday, though so far he has Eot been identified, and the police have nothing against him but his suspicious movements. He is a ehesreiV delegate named John Cummings, and well known is the district. He was walking in the ranges when met by the police, wag in a distressed condition, and had been without food for a long time. He told different stories about what he was doing out in the ranges, and said he had a camp 10 miles away in the mountains. But he persistently refused to show the police his camp even though they offered him a hor6e to ride. There isa belief that one of the miscreants i* wounded, as children and settlers who have seen the strange pair of ridera say that one is being supported on his horse by the other. If this is the case it would Bunport the theory that Cummings is one of the murderers, as it would account for his refusal to show his camp to the police.

At Gunnedah a local resident named M'Manus has been arrested, but the authorities do not attach much importance to it. They incline to the belief that three persons were implicated in the crime though only two took an active part in it. They have received information that tho horses used by the fugitives ran at the Narrabri races. Cutnujingi still refuses to disclose the site of his camp.

EXTRAORDINARY MURDER IN . ■ MELBOURNE. What has all the elements of a crime of the deepest mystery was reported to the North Melbourns police last Wednesday morning. At about 9 o'clock a woman of middle age named Catherine Bnrgess called at the police station and reported that she had tound Eugene Porrett, a Frenchman, with whom she lived in Elizabeth street north, lying dead on the floor of one of tbe rooms of his house. She added that his legs sad arms were tied up, and that his watch and chain wera miss'mg. Constable Hedger returned to tho shop with the woman, and found her report to be correct." Porrett was lying before the fireplace in the fitting room, and though his attitude was perfectly peaceful his legs were tied together with a leather strap, and a silk coat, twisted like a rope, was knotttd round his right arm. He was clothed in a ehirt, trousers, and Buck-", and his slippera were lying beside his feet; If two slight skia abrasions on tho right arm above the elbow be excepted, his body bore no marks of violence. It lay on the right side, with the right arm extended and the loft thrown across the body and resting naturally on the other, and its attitude was as calm as if death had come in sleep.

_ Not alone the fast that the man's legs were tied together pointed to murder. Around in all directions there was nothing but disorder. Boxes and drawers were lyiug open and their contents were tossed and scattered about as if hurriedly looked through by Borne thief who had no time to waste in careful and systematic Marching. The hurry, clearly manirest in the disorder, was more apparent in the fact that the only drawer io the house which was not opened was the one in which Porrett usually placed his money and jewellery. It wes the shop till, and it opened with a secret spriog worked by a combination only known to himself. Constable Hedger forced the drawer open, and in it were found £12 9s s£d, a gold watch, a silver chain, and Borne jewellery. All that the thief or thieves had succeeded in finding was a watch and chain which Porrett wore and whatever money he had "on him. '

The woman Burgess has been placed under arrest by the police, but the maintains that she is entirely ignorant in legaid to the occurrence. She Eays she went to bsd at about 10 o'clock and slept soundly till 8 o'clock next morniDg' It is very doubtful if her story is true, for the neighbours heard a serious disturbance during the night. They heard the cries of,a woman mingling with the angry tones of a man's voice which was saying •• Come out of this." The neighbourhood is a low one, and as a matter of fact Porett's premises were regarded as alow assignation house, consequently very little attention was paid to the disturbance. But it seems unlikely that the woman could have sleDt through it all. v Porrelt was a Frenchman, and about 50 years of age. One very puzzling feature about the case is the absence of marks of violence. Porj-etb, for all that appeared on the surface, might have died in sleep. The pod mortem Bhows that suffocation was the cause of deatb but there were no marks of strangulation' Under these circumstances the theory set un is that he was suffocated by the hearthrug beW he d over his mouth. He was a small man, anaonly about 9jt in weight, and would not have been able to offer much resistance So far no announcement has been made as to the existence of any clue, bat the police are believed to have the matter well in hand