BIZARRE CRIME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21462, 10 October 1931, Page 12

BIZARRE CRIME

AMERICAN IN IRELAND LONDON, October 1. Guarded by constables armed with revolvers, Edward Cullens, 31, an American, appeared in Court at Carrickfergus (Co. Antrim), charged with the murder of Ahmed Musa, a Turk, and attendant of Zaro Agha, “ the oldest man in the world.” The prosecution, outlining the “ bizarre ” crime, said that Zaro Agha, Musa, Cullens, and Assim Redvan, formed a syndicate in America to exploit Zaro Agha. They joined an English circus. Cullens was dissatisfied with his position as odd job man, seeing that the others were paid a salary. He proposed to Musa a tour of Ireland, and borrowed Redvan’s saloon car. Musa possessed £O7 and borrowed another £3O from Redvan. They picked up two girls, who saw Cullens in possession of a bathing cap which later covered the wounds in Musa’s head. Cullens, who was short of money, told the girls that Musa had plenty, but was miserly. When Cullens was arrested he possessed a revolver cartridge case of the same calibre as the weapon with which Musa was shot. Cullens was remanded. The naked body of Musa, described as a doctor attending his great-great grandfather, Zaro Agha, was found in a field near Carrickfergus. The Belfast police believe that Musa was associated with the gang who murdered Robert Donald, aged 27, a bank clerk, who endeavoured to prevent them escaping with £2OOO at Glasgow on August 12, and that the gang shot Musa in Belfast because be knew too much, and then motored his body into the country and dumped it in a field.