SUPPOSED MURDER

Otago Witness, Issue 3138, 6 May 1914, Page 38

SUPPOSED MURDER

ELDERLY MAN’S BODY FOUND. THREE WOUNDS ON THE HEAD. HIS MATE ARRESTED. ACCUSED OF WEAK INTELLECT. TIMARU, April 30. On Sunday last an elderly man named Adam Stevenson was missed from a camp on Kelman’s farm, near Orari Bridge. His mate, Harry Cripps, said that Stevenson left the camp on Saturday evening to go to Geraldine. As Stevenson could not be traced, a search was instituted, and was followed up from time to time. This afternoon Constables O’Grady and Murphy, with others, were searching the Orari River bed, when the former at 4 p.m. found Stevenson’s body among some gorse in the river bed, a chain from the road and about a mile from camp. A sack had been put over the head and drawn down as far as it would go, and a rug and two other sacks were placed on the body. Constable O’Grady, satisfied that there had been foul play, went back to the camp and arrested Cripps, who had made contradictory statements about Stevenson. A doctor was sent for to Geraldine to see the body before its removal, and he found four wounds on the head apparently caused by a blunt instrument such, as a hammer. ‘ Any one of the wounds would have been sufficient to cause death. The body was then removed to Geraldine. Stevenson was 70 years of age. He was said to he married, but was not living with his wife. He was well known in the district as a teamster and ploughman. Cripps is about 27 years old, single, and his mother lives at Winchester. He is said to he of weak intellect. He was in Geraldine playing billiards on Wednesday night. CRIPPS REMANDED. TIMARU, May 1. Cripps, charged with murder, came before the court at Geraldine this morning, and was remanded for eight days. The inquest on the body of Stevenson was opened, and adjourned till the 11th inst. The employer of the deceased, Alex. Ivehnan, identified the body, and stated that the two men lived on an out-farm in a travelling galley. Stevenson complained to him that Cripps was not attending to his work properly, and asked for another man. Witness did not know whether Cripps knew that.