AN UNDISCOVERED MURDER.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 19, Issue 99, 15 December 1908, Page 2

AN UNDISCOVERED MURDER.

On the evening of February 1, 1881, Lieutenant Percy L. 0 Roper of the Royal Engineers, dinea at the mess with his brother officers, 1 and, in order to write a ’cttoi before sitting down to a game of i whist, walked over to his quarters ■on the first floor at a bouse in Bromptor. Barraicks, Chatham. At tho time all the officers occupying the block were away, and the rnly persons known to be in the house were the servants of the officers. One of these, Marv Gerside, hearing pomp dogs /m 1 ’’l - i v 9’ , went to let them in* 6ha 'heard' groaning on tm- sti.ua outn.'Uv. lieutenant Roper’s quarters, and found the young officer mortally wounded, shot through the heart by a revolvex bullet. She j called William Gallagher, the lieuj tenant’s servant: and after medical aid had been summoned, a search was made. There were picked up « poker and a six-chambered revolver ; with one chamber discharged. and ! thr others all loaded. Thi? wea- ! pon was identified as belonging tc I another lieutenant, whoso servant i«ici it had been hanging up in. his I master's room. D was u prize revolver, and the servant, whe v/ tt & iln the habit of cleaning it, never knew it to be loaded. At the in- ! quest, Edward Palmer, the Chatham [ gunsmith, who sold the cartridges of i the revolver stated that at about 1 five o’clock on the day of the mur- ! der a customer, about sft. lOin. I high, looking like an officer, puri chased cart ridge? such a* were after • ' ward? found in the revolver which killed Lieutenant Roper ; but this witness did not notice his customer sufficiently to be able tc recognise him again. The jury returned a verdict of "Wilful murder against some person or persons, unknown." A large reward was offered, but the mystery is to-day as deep as it was at the time of the crime | =====