THE MELBOURNE MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 15

THE MELBOURNE MURDER

ARREST CAUSES EXCITEMENT. (Fboh Odb Own CoRKrsposDBNT.) SYDNEY, January 18. After 15 days of what, at one time, appeared to bo hopeless investigation, the arrest of a man in connection with the murder of Alma Tirtschke, the 12-year-old girl whose naked body was recovered in Gam Alley, a back lane in the heart of Melbourne, has been responsible for a good deal of local excitement. For that reason the police had to take steps to prevent a demonstration on the,- part of the 'large crowd that gathered dfatside the Melbourne City Court when the'suspect was charged. Colin Campbell Rosa, the accused, is o man of good appearance, 28 years old, and was for a considerable time the licensee of a wine shop in the Eastern Arcade, which leads on to the alley where the body was discovered!. The wine shop . was delicensed on December 31, the day on which the body of the girl was found. Roes is said to have appeared quite indifferent during the court proceedings, and protested against a remand, claiming that he. had witnesses to give evidence aa to his movements on the night of the murder. As an indication of the casual way in which Rose takes his confinement, the incident related that, because the tea supplied at the City Watch-house was not to his liking, he refused to drink it, and ensured' one of the attendants that as soon ae he got out he would subscribe 5s a week for the provision to detained persons of tea of a better quality. Previous to the arrest th® Government had increased the reward to £IOOO, and had also announced that a full pardon would bo granted to any accomplice giving information loading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer. Of the many .strange suggestions that Were offered to the authorities prior thghe arrest, probably the; queerest was a proposal that, at a given time every adult in the Commonweal th should point an accusing finger towards Melbourne, and “will” that the Gun Alley murderer should gjive himself over to the police. The originator of the idea suggested that if everyone said aloud “Give yourself up and confess,” an irresistible wave of electricity would be directed towards the murderer. With countless fingers directed at and countless voices insisting on his confession, the murderer would find it impossible to resist the pressure, unless ho was absolutely devoid of nerves and _ imagination. Needless to say the authorities did not adopt the suggestion.