MURDERED MAN

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 24, 23 August 1928, Page 3

MURDERED MAN

BODY iN SCRUB,

SEARCH FOB. MATE.

CAIRNS, August, 10. The name of thc murcjsred matr-J found in the Bcohjio scrub yesterday is not definitely established, but it secmsj certain that it is F. Walter, an', Englishman", who, with J. Kelly, a Victorian had occupied a. humpy near where the body fas louiT*. The police are now prosecuting a vigorous search for Kelly. Inspector Mann and Detective-Sergeant Hegarty, from Cairns, Constable McDonald from Yungaburra, and Dr. Mathew*, from Mhlanda, hpeirt most of the day at the scene of the murOsr. The. body, which had been buried the previous afternoon, was exhumed, and a post-mortem held by Dr. M-jti-hews. Portion of th 0 skull is massing, but tho remains of the. head were in ismall pieces. The head must

have been terribly battered. A quantity of darkish hair was found. From the examination it would appear that tlie fatal blow was struck at the back of tl\e head. The corvicle vertebrae wag fractured and tl\e spinal c?l----*imn evidently severed. As the bci-|/ had been lying face downwards, the face was completely rotted away.

From the state of putrefaction of the body, Dr. Mathews judged that life had been extinct for at least live. weeks.The crime wlis' evidently committed i n j the humpy and tho bocfy dragged 80 yards or so into the scrub. Marks left by the body when dragged along the ground are still clearly visible. Bloodstained clothing was found in tho hut

It is now assumed that one of the two occupants of tho hut murdered tbo otjier. They had been in the district for about three or four months, and had been working for J. Ginn for three weeks, cutting Undergrowth. They are known to have quarrelled frequently, and Walter is described as haying been very bad tempered. About five agp some children are supposed to have seen Kellv rid-

ing a borso alone in the direction of Maiauda, It is (also (stated that Kelly was seen in Maluula at that period.

j A peculiar feature of the case iu how suspicion of the crime was not aroused .sooner, ifor tlie. murderer made no attempt to hide the traces of bloodstained clothes left lying about. Ginn had g° n e past the humpy three times a week recently but never lookocf in. About a fortnight ago he reported to the police at Mai, anijU that tho men were missing, and an endeavour was madjo to locate them, but the lmnlpy was not searched, .ag Uie men had not been seen (about there \

At tliat time it was not suspected that a gliastly tragedy had occurred, jk saddle and! bridle, kind various other articles were also found in tlie humpy suggesting that there was.no premeditated) departure from the humpy planned by Walter and Kelly.

The- murderer had many moans of escape, and could be at the other end of Australia by now. He had ht least one horse available, and could soon reach a railway leading tq Cairns. At Cairns he could make a getaway to any flirt of Australia by tram, or steamer, or could even get out of the country on an oversea \ essel.

It is bolierecj that neither Kelly nor Walter had ready money i n the humpy. At the lime of their disap-, pearance they owed money in the district, and this was at first ascribed as the. reason for their supposed silent departure. During Inspector Mann's absence on; the Tajblehind, Senior-Sergeanft Toohill i.si in charge at Cairns, directing the_eftort s of the police on tho coastal area. All the police through, out the big Cairns district are endeavouring to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing man. They are Hieing a big task owing to the lengtj r of time since the tragedy occurred!.