A WEST COAST TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17158, 10 November 1917, Page 7

A WEST COAST TRAGEDY.

HIGHWAY ROBBERY AND PAY FOR STATE MINERS STOLEN. NEARLY £4000 SECURED. MOTOR-CAR DRIVER SHOT DEAD. PAY CLERK DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED. MINE MANAGER INJURED. ■"» —___ MASKED ROBBER ESCAPES. (Fhom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) GREYMOUTH, November 9. This morning, when all Nature seemed in sweet repose, basking in one of those most perfect of'days, there was enacted on the Seven-mile road a tragedy which recalls the time when the notorious Burgess, Levy, Sullivan, an_d Kelly gang roamed the West Coast, murdering innocent miners and terrorising the community at large. SCENE OF THE TRAGEDY. Shortly after nine o'clock this morning a motor car left the Bank of New Zealand, Greymouth, en route for the State mine, witty' three occupants —viz., Mr Isaac James, manager of the State mine; JMr Wm. Hall, pay clerk; and Mr John Coulthard, blacksmith, driver of the car. They carried with them a sum of money totalling nearly £4000, with, which it was intended to pay the miners this afternoon. The car bowled along the Seven-mile road/- which is dotted here and there_ by tidy farmsteads and again by luxuriant native flora. Little did the occupants think of the terrible tragedy about to be enacted. Passing the camp they came to a sudden bend, which ,at this point has thick undergrowth on either side. Turning the corner they espied a box and a ladder on the road, apd although the brakes were promptly applied the car did not stop till it crashed into the obstruction. What happened is told by eye-witnesses as follows : — Mr Peter M. Anderson, jun., told his narrative to the Star reporter: "As far as I can guess, it was about 20 minutes past nine o'clock when my son Leonard and I were biking down the hill. We turned a corner and noticed a box across the road. I cried out to my son.to get off. This we immediately did. At this moment the mine car turned the corner at the other end and crashed into the obstruction before it was pulled up. ' A MASKED MAN. s " Like a flash, of lightning • a man—a young man, I should say—dressed in dark blue dungarees, with his face completely masked, jumped out of the bush.'! Here Mr Anderson showed the reporter the spot from , which the murderer emerged on the right hand side of the road. Just below a little riie grew a clump of dense scrub. In this he had made a veritable "dug-out" for himself, and there remained in wait for his prey, unseen or unheard.

" With a revolver in each hand," added Mr Anderson, ".he hopped on to the road and cried out in stentorian tones: ' Hands up!' ' Oh, God,' I cried, ' he is going to shoot us; come into the bush.' I and my son took to the bush, going about a chain in. Bang! bang! bang! It was a few terrible moments. We knew that we would be inviting risk to come out.. Then there was a silence, and we espied the man on the railway with a bag, evidently the proceeds of the robbery, and then he went along towards Bunanga, disappearing out of sight " A TERRIBLE SCENE. " We then came out of the bush," said Mr Anderson, " and quickly heard the groans. We rushed to the car, and there found Coulthard shot dead. Willie Hall was then in a state of collapse. 'Are you shot? Where are your mates?' I asked; but Hall said: 'I'm on fire.' I found that his coat was on -fire. I put it out (a fact which demonstrated at what close range the shot was fired). I immediately sent for the police and doctor." A PREMEDITATED CRIME. The affair was a premeditated one, and was the work of a cool, resourceful, and determined criminal. A fortnight ago a similar obstruction was placed on the same spot, but was removed by a passer-by. The car passed the epot after the obstruction had been removed, otherwise the tragedy, might have occurred then. On this occasion the occupants saw the obstruction, and Mr James got out of the car to remove it. Fortunately for him he got out of the car oh the side opposite to that on which the masked man appeared, and he therefore escaped with a shot in the thigh and a grazing wound on the hand. The masked man carried a revolver in either hand, and pointing them at the occupants of the,car he cried: "Hands up!" This command Mr Hall disobeyed, and snatched his own revolver. The masked man then blazed away at short range. Coulthard, who j was driving, was shot in the heart, and his body fell over into the road. Mr Hall fired two shots, which did not take effect, leading him to suppose that the masked man had some protective covering. Mr Hall' received two ahots in the arm and one or two bullets struck him in the chest, and his condition is exceedingly critical. VICTIM OF THE TRAGEDY. The news of the tragedy caused a sensation throughout the district, where the occupants of the car are all well known. Mr John Coulthard was about 26 years of age, and a native of Brunnerton. He was a son of the late John Conlthard, and resided with his mother at Rnnanga. Ho was the only son, and a blacksmith by tirade. He was a favourite with all, and was held in high esteem and respect. AT DEATH'S DOOR, Mr William Hall, who was wounded In the chest, was subsequcntlv conveyed to the Greyrnouth Hospital, where he lies in a precarious condition. He has been in the State Mine office, in which he held a responsible position, since its inception, and has proved a most valued and courteous officer. His wife and three children reside at Runanga. A NARROW ESCAPE. After being shot, Mr Jamee ran from the car to an adjacent house. He .was found to be suffering from a wonnd in the left hip and thigh, and he was also grazed , on the hand. The bullets were extracted, and he then proceeded to his home. The bullets indicate that tiie weapons used were possibly automatic revolvers. The murderer was a young man of stout build, about sft lQrn in height. He wore blue dungarees,, and had his face completely masked, there being only two holes left for the eyes. Work at the mine was immediately suspended, and the miners formed search parties to scour the besh in an endeavour to locate the criminal, but so far without avail. A formal inquest was opened thi3 afternoon.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS, , | POLICE AND.MINERS SEARCHING * \ • (Peb United Press Assooiatioh.) GREYMOUTH, November 9. J * Further particulars of the highway rob* A ; bery and murder show that the paj* was done up in two bags and totalled £3659 16s Bd. It would not be cumbersome, as ( , it contained only £100 in silver; the bulk t of it was in notes. It was the property of the Government. The miners ceased ; work on receipt of the news, and many of them took to the bush in search of the * murderer; but up to nightfall had got no * nearer clue of the desperado For some days a stranger was camped in the vicinity of Runanga, but the poLce attach little importance to this, as there are qmte a number of military shirkers still at large and supposed to be in the bvth A posse of police are arriving. When waited on, they were very reticent as to the information gained. INQUEST UPON OOULTHAED. The coroner held a formal inquest at v Runanga on Coul£haxd. Dr Meade stated that death was due to deceased being shot through the lung, the bullet severing the main blood vessel. THE OTHER VICTIMS. Mr Hall's condition is very serious, and but little hope is held out of his recovery., * Mr James is improving. The two persons arrested were vagrants, who had visited a brewery. •» *$