THE MURDERED MAN.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 158, 26 June 1886, Page 4

THE MURDERED MAN.

Mr Robert Taylor was a married man about 50 years of age, and he leaves a family of two daughters and one son, .ill grown up. One of hie daughters te tho wife of Mr J. Seymour, who brought the news of the murder to Coromundsl. Mr Taylor lived at Tryphena, where he has been for many years. He was part, owner of a bush, and was usually occupied in getting out firewood, to beforwaided to Auckland by various cutter*, of which the Sovereign of the Seas was one.

THE ACCUSED. The master of the cm tier, John Caffrey, is a. pintle man, about 33 years of go e and although of a somfiwh.it excitable <7ij<position, he is not one who might bo fluspected as the perpetrator of such a temblo crime as that, of which ho has been accused. Caflrey has been employed by Me->bi>Henderfon and Spr.iggon.the owners of the enUorJor about two years. Henry Pent), who i-, eaid to bo an accomplice in the murder, has al&o been engaged in the firewood trade for &omo time pupt, and i& generally well tpoken of. Ho js a young man about 22 ye trs ot age, of medium height His parents reticle at Shelly Beach, Pon*onby, and ho has been in tho cutter with Caffrey for a long time. It is difficult to imagine, from the information received bo far, how ho can havo becorns implicated in tho murder.

CAUSE OP THE MURDER. It appears that Catfrey, who has been visiting the Barrier for many years, was once a suitor for the hand of Mws Jane Taylor, a daughter of the deceased, and now Mrs Seymour. Mr Taylor refused to

give his consent to puch an alliance, on the ground that Caffrey belonged to the Catholic Church, whilst he and hie family were Protestants The match was consequently broken off, and it i-* believed that Caffrey never forgave Mr Tuylor for hie action in the matter. Caffrey in eaid to have given way to drink during hit* last stay in Auckland. He left) this port on Thursday night. The owners instructed him to proceed to Blind Bay, and are surprised to learn that he proceeded to Tryphena, a port several miles this eide of his destination. .

CAFFREY THREATENED TO "PUT A HEAD" ON TAYLOR. Watermrn Griffiths, who was very well well acquainted with Caffrey, described him as a decent port of fellow, and made the following statement to a reporter : Caffrey uned to run the schooner Mary between AuckUndand Tryphone; that wasabout two years a^ro; before he wue appointed master of the cutter Sovereign of the Seas. About that time Caffrey was keoping company with Mi*s Jane Taylor, now Mrs Seymour He kept company with her for about eighteen months and was in the habit of bringing his sweotheart and her family to Auckland. About two or three months ago C-xffrey, when in Auckland, told me, that whenever he went to Tryphena, Taylor tantalised him about having loefc hi* daughter, remark ing what a good husb-ind she had got. and what a damned wretch of a husband Caffrey ' would have made her. Caffiey then said that he would not stand this, and threatened that if Taylor did not leave him alone he •'put a bead on him."

A WOMAN ON THE CUTTER. | We are also informed that when Caffrey left Auckland he had a lady friend from Auckland on board the cutter, and this promises to m.ikemattersßtillmore complicated

STATEMENT BY MR SPKAGGON. Mr Spraggon, of the firm of Henderson and Spraggon, owners of the cutter Sovereign of the boas, stated to a reporter that he has beon much surprised at Caffiey'a conduct lately. Up to the within the paßt few months CafTrey had been very regular in handing over whatever money was due to the firm. Recently, however, he became neglectful, and either made excuses for non-payment, urging that lie had sum-i of monoy to collect at the Barrier, or else did not put in an appearance at all. This happened for two trips, and on Thursday afternoon last, Mr Spaggon, in consequence of repoits concerning Caffrey's behaviour in town which had been made to him, decided to see him at once. He went on board the cutter. GifiVry was not there, but Mr Sprjggon saw th.- mite, Peon. He told Pena to inform O-iflbi y that he wab on no account to leave port before ho saw the owners, and Perm prumi&ed to convey the order. Mr Spr iggon alto afckod several persons in town to keep a look oue ior Caffery. and tell him that he (Mr Spraguon) wished particularly to gee him betoie he loft Auckland. Caffiey did not go to ?eo Mr ilondei-on, as requec-ted, but sailed that, night On hearing the news, of the mvi der of which Catfrey and his mate are accused, Mr Spr.tggon communicated with the police and ofiered, in the event of a feteamer being de-patched in pursuit of tho Sovereign of the Sea", to place o.i board (Japtmi Catchpole and others to fo.m a crow to take charge of the cutter when her naskr and mate were arr._sled. Mr Spraggon could hive sent another cutter a f tor the Sovereign, but this would also have been of little use. Tne sailing powers ot tho Sovereign itro well known and given a fair frt.ut, there is no smali vessel i.i harbour thd.t couid catch heY under canvas. Mr adds that so far as he knows, Uill/ty has no knowledgo of navigation beyond the coast, and considers it improbable that ho will venture far out to sea.

THE CUTTER SIGHTED. Captain Nicholson, master of the cutter Mahurangi, which arrived from Meicury Baylkst evening, infoims us that about 10 o'clock on Sunday morning he was off Great Barrier, when ho saw, some considerable distance to uhdward, a suiu.ll open oo.it, evidontly bound for Auckland. He ua,.very much sarpii-ed that such <i tiny cr.itt should bo ,it eea in such weather. It was blowing hard fiorn the N.W./aiid thore was a very high sea running. Capta.n Nicholson tiied to reach the boat, but iaiiod, sho being fOOf 00 far t 0 windward, and the wind -uoUlctily freshening, ?he tquared away, evidently with tho intention of running for CoromandJ. This was, no doubt, tlu- boat containing ]\lr t: Oi mour. An { 10lu l a<ci- Ctprain NichoK>.on paw the cutter Si\citijrn of the Seas mirlnay between zhe |/«ipeand Blind Hiy. She had threa reefs in her main-.iil, and b^Lh jib and staysail were hauled down. She was evidently heading fur the C ipe at the extreme outer end of tho B.inier, and Captain Nicholson says he did not think the cutter was bound out to soa, but that she was just dodging off and on. Ho thought her movements veiy strange at the time, and could not account fur them until ho heard the story of the murder of which Caffrey is accused when he arrived in Auckland. From this it would appear that Caffrey is afraid to land at tho Barrier for fear of the inhabitants taking the law into their own hands, and also afraid to run off with the vessel because of his ignorance of navigation outside of the harbour.

ARRANGEMENTS MADE TO GIVE CHASE. Pending the receipt of information from Wellington, preparations were made to send a steamer in chase of tho cutter. Whilst the steam tug Awhina was kept under etcam ready to be despatched at a moment's notice, the Northern Company also placed the s.s. Rowena in readiness, and it was understood that the latter j vessel would be charteied for the trip. The police al°o pot their carbines and ammunition ready, in preparation what any sanguinary encounter in which they might be required to play a part. This was considered neccessary owing to the effect that Cdffrey, although a quiet fellew when sober, was terrible when in Hrink. Several incidents of his excitable nature whilst uiidur the influence of intoxicants aie 1 elated.

A DANGEROUS CHARACTER. About nine months a£o CafTroy was walking up town in a more than usually lively humour, when in a boastful manner he called out, "I'll knock down the tiwt. policeman T moot " Constable OBrien, uho hoard tho remark, stopped up to him and romonpf rated with hi;u, when CafTioy hauled off, struck the Constable, nnd felled him to the giound. Other pulictmen enmo to the assistance of (Jonsfable O'Orion, and Cufirey was pccuied nnd lodged in the lockup with considerable ha Mas brought before tho l'olico Courr, on a "charge of assault, and received three or lour months imprisonment. In the strneßlo with the polico, CaflVey is said to have seriously injured one arm.

CAFFREY ALWAYS CARRIES BEVOLVERS. Caffrey is said to always carry two revelvera. When last in town he is said to have been talking about going to Kimberley, remarking that ho wanted revolvers ta protect himself from the blacks there. The

cutter Sovereign of the Sobb has on board beside* Caffrey and Perm another uian whose name we do not at present know, and also a woman. It is believed that under the circumstances Caffrey and his mate will make a hard fight before being taken, and preparations have been, made accordingly. I I I

Despatch of a Steamer, Superintendent Thomson this afternoon received authority from Wellington to despatch a steamer to the Great Barrier to inquire into the murder. He haa therefor© chartered the b.s. Rowena, and she will leave tor the Harrier at 6 p. m. to-day Detective Twohey, Sergt» Clarke, Constables O'iirien, Carrol], and another, Mr H. Palmer, J.P. and coroner, and a surgeon - the latter to make a 2>ost mortem of the body of the murdered man, will be passengers. It is intended that the Rowena shall proceed direct to Tryphena, where she will arrive about 10 o'clock to-night. Tomorrow morning a postmortem examinations of the body of deceased will be made, after which an inquest will be held. The coroner and doctor will then return to Auckland bu+ the police will remain at the barrier. After bringing back the doctor and coronor to Auckland tomorrow, the Rowena will make a fresh start in pursuit of the alleged murderer*, that is unless they have previously given themselves up.