DETERMINED MURDER AND SUICIDE NEAR OXFORD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2876, 13 June 1882, Page 2

DETERMINED MURDER AND SUICIDE NEAR OXFORD.

[By Telegraph.] Christchurch, June 12. A ghastly crime is reported from the timber district of Oxford, some 30 miles north-west of Christchurch. The particulars so far known are given in one of*the evening papers as follows: This morning at about 8.15, soon after the gang of platelayers of the Oxford branch had commenced work, and while two men named Packnetz and Horne were placing a sleeper on' the trolly, another of the gang, named John Greenfield, who was standing behind with an adze in bis hand, suddenly lifted the adze and said to John Horne, , who was helping to load the trolly; “You b -, I will do for you, and struck him with the adze behind the ear, the blade of the adze running across the neck, and penetrating it to a depth of 2£in with the corner, and half severing the head from iho body. Tlio foreman of the gang, Packnetz, said “John, what are' you doing man,” whereupon Greenfield rushed upon the ganger, and said, “You b , I will do for you, too.” Packnetz ran away and the murderer followed him for a considerable distance, when Packnetz'suddenly turned upon and seized him, and, in doing so, received a blow which the murderer aimed at him on the side of the head, but fortunately only with the handle of the adze. Packnetz then Seized the adze and wrenched it from him. The murderer then run away across the field on the opposite side of the main road, and-.was afterwards found by Sergeant Scott lying down in a furrow where there was only a small quantity of water. He was stretched at full length in the furrow with his face in the water. When turned over he was found to be quite dead. Horne has lived a long time in Oxford, and during the greater part of the time has been employed on the railway. He has a wife and a family of seven children. He has been a steady and careful man, and has acquired some property. Greenfield has not been long in the district, and leaves a wife and four children, the youngest of which is about six weeks old. From the position of the cut, it must have been given whilst Horne was stooping at the trolly with his back to the murderer, the blow being given over the left shoulder, the whole width of the adze, which is carpenter’s one, penetrating the full width, and almost severing the head from the body. Sergt. Scott was quiekly op the spot, and both bodies were laid at the Oxford Hotel on beds side by side by half-past ten o’clock. The murder took place near Starvation Hill.