THE KAKANUI MYSTERY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14591, 29 April 1918, Page 6

THE KAKANUI MYSTERY.

STORIES' ABOtT STRANGE MAX. (Per Press Association^. ; * , # OAJSIAJIU, Jas^ ? Although a'whole'roftnight lias" p'aised since .the murder of George Burke, at Uemmel's Crossing on'the Kakanui' river, the police state fehat thej- lrnye no authentic evidence of Onslovy Mayhew, who is suspected of the crime, having been seen since he disappeared on the ' night of the tragedy. A diligent. search i hag been made of the Kakanui river bed j and the -country-side m (the vicinity, but ! no signi or trace of Mayhew has been j found. As far as the police can ascer- i tain, no settler for imiles around , .has missed any food, . and nothing has been disturbed that would indicate the fugitive had been foraging. Mounted police, have patrolled the . back country roads; and have visited the back stations, one" party of mounted police>. going-, through Danaey's Base ..as 1 - far as.iNaseby; , The settlers on the .Maj&raweka settlement, a few miles southwest bf the scene of the tragedy, emphatically declare that a man has been- seen- on; several occasions m the dusk of the evening, Trhos.e pre.sehce ill the- vicinity po fa.r Iras not been explained. ! On Tuesday evening, at a (jiiafrter to 6, tlie wife of a. settler living m one of the loneliest parts of the settle-ment-saw 1 a maai,.cross the road about 300 yards from, the house and disappear into a plantation,, while, her .husband declares that a little later He saw the same strari- j ger. making towards tlie settler's, housed The settler hurried inside to prepar© for aaiy emergency, and on reappea-ning-■almost immediately discovered that the stranger had disappeared. The -next morning tlhe wife of another settlor, a'boni two males .further west, ( was re-, tunting about half past 5 through the fields 'from a. ...neighboring farm, to reach, her home. It was necessary to cross a jFunall stream. Stepping., from, i point to point, the woman, had jijsjt f got. .across the -stream. , when shla came. 11 faqe /to face \ritli a. strange man .in*a sitting positioii among the high rushes. The woman got such a surprise that. she. only; glanced, at the intruder, arid hurried to ' her home, about 160 yards distant; V She declares that the stranger' was a big man and liad' a. oomsiderable g-rowtih- ,of whislierß on his face. The deep impression m. the j grass among the high rushes which ! sheltered s thov stranger from the,- high' wind, blowing" at the-time; is still plainly] visible. .. The woman rus/l^ed. to ft. neigh-l boring settler's house, (ab^it a quarter of a. niild away) m.; full, gig3it- of tlie. ' stranger, Vho made off Wore -assistance t i could : be obtained. Mounted police and | detectives ,ai:e busy; -scouring, .that ' lofc ality. ..., ; ' „.. ;.,..,. ■'.._.. ..' ' / 7./., •;: The ...condition of | i\liss ? .,Ma.r.y. Biirk'c, i yho. was flhot- throughi 'the. lung^,;is.much i inijirpved, n.nd. sh&^ is m ,- r ve^y good spirits, - Mrs Bainbury is makings good progress. A piece of leadj believed to bo a soft-nosed- bullet, ,wa.9 extracted from Mrs., Bahbury's wound, at .tihe,' beginning; of .the week. .... V. " j ; It is- .suggested by the settlers that m •vie w ; of .the wide expanse, of country to be, covered, and the anxiety of .the'ettlers, tlie police should be very materially reinforced' and' a» day night search' and, pafy'ol inaintaiiied. (SpeGial.to the^Heraid.) .. =■■ .. OHRI^TaHpROH, this day. iMayheiw,, wanted m -' --oonnectibn -.with the Kalcariui murder, saw service France; • . :Be was in-No. 3 -Gompany of Field Engineers, No. 1 • .section. • Mayhevr >yas at, Armentieres fighting, and subsequently m- the big September push on the Sontme..', Hisicowradea say that he tdid as nujch as any sapper ur the* <'dinipaJT.y. „' ... , v . ". .