CRIME WAVE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19269, 5 September 1924, Page 5

CRIME WAVE.

MELBOURNE HORRORS. ANOTHER CHILD MURDERED. MOTHER’S TERRIBLE FIND. (From Ooe Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. August 27. Yet another horrible murder of a child in circumstances similar to those, of the notorious Gun Alley case has horrified the people of Melbourne. The police are still following up every available clue in the Caulfield case of a few weeks ago, when all are thunderstruck by the discovery of a fresh outrage, apparently the work of some fiend in human form. This time the victim is the nine-year-old son of a wax widow, Mrs Mount, of Spring-vale. Archie Mount, the victim, had gone with his brother, Ivan, to gather gum tips, and while walking towards the cemetery, about a mile and a-half from the township with this object in view, Archie became tired, and said he would sit down and wait for his brother’s return. Ivan agreed to go on to the cemetery for the gum tips, and before they parted & man in a motor car drew up near to where they were, and remarked. “Good day, lads.” Both the boys replied “Good day,” and Ivan, who is 14 years of age, proceeded to the cemetery, noticing, upon turning round, that his brother was still in conversation with the man. Ten minutes later Ivan returned with the gum tips, and could find no trace of his brother. Thinking the boy had gone home he went thither, but. nothing had been heard of him. Night fell, and the mother became anxious and informed the police. News of the disappearance spread, and over 200 people, with lanterns, turned out and searched the deserted district where the boy had been, but without avail. Scachers on the Sunday had no more success, the open field in the vicinity revealing no clue to the boy’s whereabouts. A large waterhole was dragged by the police on the assumption that the' boy might have fallen in. The following day (Monday) all idea that lie could be in the locality was abandoned, when a terrible discovery was made. The child’s mother, walking along.the road With her son Ivan and Miss Kerr, an aunt of the boy. saw a naked body floating in a weir at the back of the Sandown Racecourse, about threequarters of a mile from where the lad was last seen. , When recovered the body was found to have been horribly mutilated. So far all efforts to trace the mysterious motorist have failed, and no clue has been forthcoming that gives hope of bringing the criminal to justice.