MURDER AT NEW PLYMOUTH:

Colonist, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5778, 16 April 1890, Page 4

MURDER AT NEW PLYMOUTH :

H'M Pwhouth, April 13. Aferocions murdetf vtasopmin'Hted in. tbe Recreation Grounds on. FrMa& vthe^viotira being an old man, named Stephen MfelOney. The deceased was a discharged soldier having served in the Crimean Var. He lived alone in a small cottage in the Grounds, and was last seen alive on Friday at noon. , He was mißßed on Friday aftornoon, and a eearoh was made for him on Saturday afternoon, when his body was found lying in some fernand Serub : about 20 chains from his house. Marks of violenoe were found on the body, but were not . at first considered to be of a serious charaoter and there was a.litrie blood visible. A post mortem to-day revealed that deceased had: been horribly murdered, nine Ctittf were found in the head, none of them howevot fractured the skull, or penetrated the, brain. The; windpipe had been smashed to atoms by some blunt instrument as there was ho external cut but severe contusion. Tha theory is that the murderer used the blunt end of a small tomahawk, inflicting repeated blows on the throat with it, which severed the windpipe, but no Bevere external wound was occasioned. The deceased was a native of Kerry in Ireland, and had been in this Colony over thirty years, he was decrepid and could not walk without a StiQft* His j stick and hat were found about 6 or 7 yards further in the scrub. When the body was found it was noticed that one of the pockets had been turned inside out, and deceased's purse (empty), was found near the body. The motive for the crime was evidently to obtain money, The police have arrested a native nailed Mita Kai who was liberated from gaol 14 • days ago, having served a sentence for housebreaking. Marks of blood were found on the Maori's trousers, and he was seen in the locality on the day the murder was committed. The deceased told the keeper of the Eecreation Grounds tbafr-a Maori he did not know, had called at his house alone on Friday morning, and he had given him his breakfast. He also said the Maori told him he was employed doing some work on the Eecreation Grounds. The keeper told deceased that the Maoris statement was untrue, as no Maori had been employed in the grounds. The police are engaged in getting up the case, and it is expected that evidence will be adduced at the inquest, which commences on Monday, sufficiently stiong to commit the Maori for trial. The murder is supposed to have been committed with deceased's own hatchet, which bears marks of blood upon it. Deceased was a recipient of charitable aid, he had no relatives in the Colony.

April 14,

The police are trying to get evidence in the murder case, but so far they have nothing of a tangible nature. A handkerchief was found on the prisoner, which, it was thought, might afford a clue, as the deceased was supposed to have one identical with it, but this proved incorreot, as the handkerchief could not be identified. From further evidence it appears that the prisoner has been spending money somewhat freely since the time of the murder, and it was known he had no money before. He has so far failed to satisfactorily account for this money. He Bays his father in Parihaka sent it him, but this is not believed as he hae made several different statements, another being that his brother gave him the money. It is now thought probable that the deceased had several pounds in his possession at the time of the murder, as a few days ago he offered to lend a person £5, the offer, however, not being accepted. The police have ascertained that a girl going totbe High School on Friday met a Maori in the Becreation Ground?, but the piisoner has not yet been identified by the girl, as she has npt seen him aince ha was arrested, but she will be taken to the Police Station to-morrow for the purpose of identifying him. The funeral of the deceased will take place to-morrow. Subscriptions have been raised for the purpose of Riving him a decent buiial, otherwise he would have had to be buried aa a paupet.