THE BANNOCKBURN TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Volume 01, Issue 2123, 1 November 1894, Page 11

THE BANNOCKBURN TRAGEDY.

(FltOM A COHHESFONDENT.) Ba^nockbotin, October 25

John M'Kersie was a native of Fen wick, Ayrshire, Sootland, and came to New Zealand tome 27 years ago. He was in tbe Waunka district for a Few years, and while there was partner in a sawmill with Mr A. E. F&rqunar (now storekeeper at Sliding) and a Mr Ross (now in Glasgow). Later, when lie came to the Barraockbarn district, he worked at gold mining on the Carrick, at Potter's Gully, and ou the reefs at Carcicktown, and still later worked several sluicing claims at B&cnockburn. About tbe middle of last June he with Mr William Wright took up a cUim in the eoutb branch of Smith's Gully, a few hundred' yards above the old Bite of the E'iz»beth battery. To work this ground it was necessary to arrange with A. Blue to take a tail race through one of Blue's dams, and this was settled between -tbtmeehes to their entire satisfaction. Since July M 'Ernie and Wright have been working oft and on bringing up a tail raca'asd 'cutting a head race, and have occupied a but (Tom Bl»in'a old hut) situated among tbe rocks about 100/ds above the but known as the Star manager's hut, occupied by Blue at tbe date of the tragedy.

Blue for the last six weeks has been suffering from ingomnin, and ha 3 been tftioe iv the Cromwell Hospital, for four or five d&js each limo, bt-iug treated for sleepleßKnesii, and each time he letfc the doctor had given him a bottle of sleeping draught to take home with him. M'K-ersie and Wright during this time had charge of his property, feediDg his poultry, ] cleaning his races, fixing up bfc damp, &c. In fact they k*v« been the best of friends. Before Blue went to the hospital the last time he fancied the balking of his dog put him dfi. his sleep, and ho got up one night and put an ecd to ife. He alo;> complained of his rooster crow- ; icg ab night, and opekq of killing it also. Tie , larks rcuud bit place disturbed him, and he buroed tbe grass rcuud his honse to keep them away. These *re the only unusual things done by Blue bo f*r as is known, and of course they bavo caused all sorts of ramour. Still M'Keme, Wright, and Hugh RobertfOD, who j saw him daily and did odd things for him, had no fear of him, and visited and were vitibtd by him a* usual, Robcrteon h»d brought come quarfz to M'Keriie, who was to crush and pan it off for him, and Robertson, BJue, ffl'Kenie, and Wright were all gathered together in M'Kcrsie and Wright's iut on Friday night. They had tea together, but the tea tasted bitter to Robertson, and Wright complained of lcsiDg the power ot his legs. A fresh brew of tea was made, and the water was tasted before being put *on the tea and found all right. M'Kersie's and Blue's were found to be all right, but. Robert sou's was again bitter, and as he had an extra do«e of sugar in his they concluded there | wss something iv the iugar, and M'Kersie put j the remains of Robertson's tea in a bottle with the object of taking it down to Banuoclibum j on Saturday (I understand Inspector Pardy ' has tbe tea in bis possession now). George Gilford, while searching for Blue and Wright on Saturday, had a drink of tea in Wright and M*Ker»ie'ff but with a large supply oE-eugar, and be was afieoted in much the lame way as Wright, and Robertson ttafcen that he v>&& taken bad the st.me way on his way home from Wright «n3 HL^Kersi^B Yuri;, Whida he left along with A. Blae about 10 p.m. This is the last time Bine was seen alive. M'Kersie left Wright cookiag dinner at about 11.15 for the purpose of going to see bow Archie Blue was that S&tnrday morning, and about 11.30 Robertson looked into Blut'i but on bis way to M'Korsie's for tbe purpose of learning bow tbe qaaitz panned out, and found Blue's front door wide open, with M'Kertie lying on his back on the floor inside quite dead, with a gunshot -wound in |Jthe side of bis bead the shot entering ju&t behind tbe eye, travelling along the side of the bead just ever the ear, and lodging ia the base of the skull. Robertson after looking at M'Kersie noticed tbe bedroom door shut, and thinking Blue might be inside became afraid that Slue might shoot him also, as he knew Blue bad a doable-barrelled gun. He therefore at once got hold of the handle of Blue's bedroom door aad called out to Blue, but he got no reply, and he bolted out of the hut and down the hill towards Bannockburn as fast as be could, arriving there about 12.15. His excitement was bo great that he forgot about Wright, and when asked if be had seen Wright be could only state that he had not, and of course the Bannockburn people then became very anxious as to Wright's safety, and a party was at once formed and proceeded up tbe Oarrick. Their plan was to keep a good look-out and approach the buildings at the Star battery carefully. This they did, but saw bo signs of Wright or Blue. They found the body of poor BTKersie, *s described by Robertson. On opening the bedroom door the gun was found there, and this was a great reiiet to tbe party. They next proceeded to M'Kersie and Wright's but, but found the door locked. A pane of flaw wai aooa broken, then the door was burst open, but the hat waß found empty with the dinner cooked on the stove. Wright and M'Kersle's claim was next Tinted, and then tha head oi their rftoa. s,ni fevenr ul» c e

likely for Wright to be found, but there were no f>ign« of him. This gave great anxiety to tha party, wto then proceeded to places when Blue might po»&ibly be. It was fully two hours after the party had come at B! no's hub when a mfsserger arrived announcing tfcat Wright had turned up at Banncckbnrn. It appears when the dinner was cooked, about 12 o'clock, he went down to Blus'a to get M'Kersie to come to his dinner, and of course found exactly what Robertson had found before him, the murdered body of John M'Ker<iie. Thinking fchat if Blue would kill M 'Kerne he would not hasitate to do the same by him, he at once bolted fur bis hut, changed his slippers for his bcotw, and went to Bannockburn by tho. spurs, avoiding tbe road in case Blue should be ljiog iv wait for him.

The police from Cromwell arrived on the spot shortly before the news of Wright's safety 'wan known. They at once took cburge of affairs, removing the body of M'Keraio to Bannockbnrn, again returning to watch Blue's hut during the night, all under orders from Inspector Pardy, who had arrived with Sergeant M'Lecd, of Clyde, about 5 o'clock. The police party returned to B»nnockburn on Sunday morning without tracing Blue, and again went up ihe bill after breakfaet and succeeded in finding the dead body in s,n old tunnel, lying face down in a pool of water just sufficiently deep enough to cover his feet and head, his -shoulders beiDg out of the water.

Tha inquest held on the body, before Mr James Horn, J.P., actiug-ccroner, and a jury, Mr Neil M'Lellan acting as forenoon, and conducted by Inspector Pardy, resulted in a verd:et to the effect '• That John M'Ker»ife's desth wps caused by a gunshot wound wilfully inflicted by the late Archibald Blue"; and at Blue's inquest tho same coroner and jury returned a verdict to the effect "That Archibs d . Blue drowned bimself in a pool of water on the Carrick Range while temporarily insane."

Blue was a very old resident of tho district — probably over 30 j-ears — and was always considered an eccentric man. He was a Good Templar for many years, and was well known, but took no active part in public life. John .M'Kertie, on the other hand, was a public man in every sense of the word, and was always the first to lend a helping hand either by manual labour, by speech, or by his pen, and hie loss will be fult in the district for many years.