MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10193, 30 October 1894, Page 2

MURDER AND SUICIDE.

TRAGEDY NEAE BANNOOKBUHN.

(Fnoii Ova, Own Correspondent.) Cromwell, October 22. By the courtesy of the Cromwell Argus I am enabled to send you the following particulars of tho Oarrislc Range tragedy :—

John M'Kersit), a well-known miner in this district, wna found murdered in the hut of another miner named Arcoibnld Bluo on Saturday morning, between-11 and 12 o'clock. The murdered m&.n met his death by tho discharge of a shot gun, the upper part of tbe skull being lifted clean on one side. The charge of shot never scattered, it being found in one solid lump in the base of the. brain. The floor of the hut was saturated with blood, every drop being discharged from the body, which was white aud colourless. It ia supposed that the murdered man went to the hut of Arch. Blue, who had been ailing for sorae time back, and who developed sundry eccentric habits aud idiosyncracies, and had only two days previously returned from tbe Crorawall Hospital, wherehewss under treatment for insomnia. Blue, at the time of M'Kersie'n visit, evidently wan in bed, and it is presumed that after speaking to Bloc nn'i mimsteriuj! to bis bodily wants (for M'Kerais had been exteuding a neighbourly assistance to Blue during his sickness) M'Keriiie gat down at the door of the hut (which is divided into two compartments), and, tacicg outwards, began panning off a prospect. It is ausumod that Blue, who occupied the inner room, niuat have been watching M'Keraie'a movements, and seeing his opportunity ross from bed and discharged the gun point blank at M'Kerfiie's head, with the above result.

The motive for the deed lies apparently in an insane idea held by Blue that fit'Kursie, with Wright, his partner, who had last week taken up a claitn adjacent to Blue's claim, had no right to do so, Blue fancying that as he had had part of ths bill to hitnseit for years past he ought not to be interfered with. In his opinion he had a prescriptive title to two or three square miles of the mountain. The site of the murder is on the old Star of the East claim, opposite the battery, aud in the hut that the manager of that company formerly occupied. Search parties, headed by Inspector Pardy, went out to; Blue, but failed to find any traco of him all day and . nigh!;. Consternation reigned all round the neighbourhood aa a natural consequence, and shot guns, vraddies, and revolvers v/ere put into commission at once, and no door was opened that night without a preliminary "Who goes there?" and an admonitory exhibition of the particular weapon of defence as a precaution against attack.

In the forenoon of Sunday the body of Blue wss, found face downwards in a dam of water 18in deep. Overtaken by fear or remorse, it is supposed that after rtiurniog to his hut and finding that the deed had been discovered he fled and made away with himself. The two bodies were brought to Bannockburn, where inquests are now being held. The followiuj; particulars from a Bannockburn correspondent of the Ofomweil Argus take up the tide, and detail the events prior to and subsequent to tha murder at greater length than the above :—

At dinner ti?ue on Saturday the news spread like a (lash tint M'Kersie had been shot dead, and that W. Wright and Archie Blue could not bo found. . Ou further inquiry it was found that Hugh Robertsou, living up at Carriektown, had gone to sec Bhio between 11 and 12 o'clock (noon), when he saw M'Kersis lying just inside Blue's hepse quite dead, shot in the head. He laid hold of tha handle of the bedroom eloor and called foe Blue, but, aot receiving any answer, he cleared ou!i and came down as fast as he could, thinking that M'Keroie's mate (W. Wright) would likely be dead, too. A number of tha Bannookburu residents, on horseback and on foot, immediately went away to tha scene, bat could not find either Blue or Wright. Eventually, however, Wright turned up at Hora's store, having gone a. roundabout way to keep out of Blue's road, it taking him about four hours to come down, as he thought that Blue might do for him what he had done for M'Kersie. Wright .states that M'Kersia on Saturday morning, at about 11 o'clock, said that he would go down and see how Blue was getting on. Wright told him to bs back by 12 for dinner. Not coming back, Wright went down to see what was keeping him, and saw him lying on the floor. On Saturday night M'Kersie, Wright, Robertson, and Blue had tea together, but they thought there was nomething the matter with it, and, having thrown out one lot, they tried another, which was good until sngar was put into it; then it tasted bitter. Guilford on Saturday had a drink of tea up there, and hewas affected by cramps. Blnehad been bad for some time, and for the past fortnight had had little sleep. Ho had been in the hospital, and came out last Wednesday; but it is the general opinion out there that he should not have been allowed to go by himself, as he was not capabla of looking after himself, he' having cot off his dog's head before he went to the hospital. M'Kersie and Wright havo been looking after him, sowing his seeds, cleaning his race, and attending to him in the house, besides giving his medicine, &c. But it was evident that Blue had a grudge against the two men for going to work near him, as he thought it wan his property, they having to cut through one of his drains to construct a tail race. Blue himself was found on Sunday in tha old Elizabeth tunnel —whether drowned or not the inquiry will show. He was in water between 2ft and 3tb deep. Universal regret is felt for the sad fate of M'Kersie, who, in trying to assist a sick man, lost his own life in the attempt. Bl'Kersie's death will cause a blank in the district that will be hard to fill. He was to the forefront in everything that conduced to the welfare of the district. He v?as one of those big-h6arted, strong fellows ever refl.dy.to give his help—one who would rather cheat himself than do a smart ti'ick ; never afraid to express hia opinion ; and he never shirked anything that he undertook to do. " Plain, blunt, houesb Jack M'Kersie" has gone to his rest. The following is tha verdict at the inquest on John M'Kersie:—"That John M'Kersie met his deatn by a gunshot wound, wilfully inflicted by Archibald Blue." October 23. The verdict at the inquest on the body, of Archibald Blue was as follows :—" That while temporarily insane he drowned himself in a pool of water on the Carrick Range." SUICIDE AT THE OCEAN BEACH. .. . o i ■. A single woman, aged 20, named Phyllis Archer, in the employ of Hr« M'Glashan, St. Clair, was found drowned on the beach at St. Clair on the 13th insfc. Some seven weeks ago she came from Kyeburn, and on Friday night about 10 o'clock she left the house to post a letter. An ir.qucst was held on the body at the Hotel Metropole, St. Ciair, on Saturday afternoon before Mr Coroner Cacew and a jury of six (Mr John Miroro, foreman). Eotiiild Graham Scott Orbell, residing with Mrs M'GlasUan, St. Clair, stated that deceased i was a domestic servant in the employ of Mrs I M'Glashan. She was about 20 years of age, and her parents lived near the Kyeburn diggings. Witnflss last saw her alive at a quarter to 10 on Friday night, and at 7 o'clock on Saturday morning he heard of her being missing froai the houise. . A few minutes later he was on his way to the baths, when he saw the body of a girl on the beach. He oaw Mr Sbark, the caretaker of the baths, and a«ked him if he knew who the girl was, and Mr Sfcark replied iv the negative. Witnsss than examined the body, and recognised it as that of Phyllis : Archer. It was partly dressed, and appeared to have been washed up ou the beach by the tide. The girl left tha house at a quartsr to 10 on Friday night to post a - letter, but returned goon afterwards. Mrs M'Glashan locked the doors of the house after deceased retired to her bedroom, but' the back door was found unlocked on Saturday morning. Deceased received notice of dismissal three or four days ago. She was told some time bank that she would have to leave, but Mrs M'Glaahan did nst dwniisfi her. ss ahe pleaded ts be kept on. AVitnses had found a bedroom candlestick on the path in the garden that morning. Amy Weldon, residing with Mra 51'Glashan, deposed that deceased wsh despondent sometimes. Daring Issb week she appeared to be very dull. She received notice of dismissal, but did not want to leave. The" candlestick found iv the garden was the one used by the deceassd. The gir l seemed to dislike going to her home ay Kyeburn. Witness identified the writing in the letter (produced) as that of the deceased. Thfi letter in question was found in the decaased's bedroom on Saturday morning, aud was neither datod nor signed. It was written to her father, mother, brothers, and aisters, svnd was to the effect that Mra M'Glashan and Miss Weldon had dono all thut lay in their power for her. The concluding lines were as follow:—"With j love to my (icarfeUlfcr, ncol.her, sisters, brothers, ! f and everybody. I must go. Good-bye, We j j shall meet a^ain." j 1 Oonstsblo Power gave fortuol evidonee. i ' The jury returned a verdict to the e-fftob that j '. deceased committed suicido by ilrorcmng while : temporarily insane.