MAN SHOT DEAD

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1931, Page 9

MAN SHOT DEAD

MURDER AT PALMERSTON

ROBBERY BELIEVED MOTIVE

BODY NEAR CYCLE ON ROAD

WOUNDS IN FACE AND CHEST

£3O THOUGHT TO BE MISSING

POLICE QUESTIONING MAN

(By Wire—Special to Daily News.) Palmerston N., Last Night.

A veil of mystery which shrouded the death, of Edwin John Blakeway, whose dead body was found near his racing bicycle at 7.40 this morning, was lifted sufficiently by this evening to disclese a brutal murder with robbery rs 1 3 motive.

A post mortem examination last night disclosed that death was caused by at least four bullet wounds iff the nose, chest and wrist from a gun of small calibre; Indications point to a struggle at the point where the body was found after Blakeway had dismounted from his machine, this leading to the deduction that he walked towards his attacker with his hand upraised to protect his head,, thus receiving a bullet through the wrist at close range. The affair has all the elements of premeditated murder with robbery as the motive. The suicide theory is ruled out as definitely impossible and jealousy or revenge motives are scouted with equal vigour in official quarters, while the location of the bullet wounds preclude death by any conceivable accidental happening.

Three detectives have been chasing clues all day and have interrogated a number of people. At 11 p.m. detectives brought into the station a tall man, hatless and collarless, with whom they were still engaged at midnight. The police are extremely reticent and will only acknowledge that Blakeway was shot.

Blakeway was a prominent amateur cyclist, aged 26 years, unmarried, and was a booking clerk at the Palmerston North railway station, a position he had held only since August 11, he previously having "been stationed at Otaki. His parents reside in Avonhead Road, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. DISCOVERY OF BODY. The body was found on the LongburnKarere road near Lockwood, five miles from Palmerston North, by H. G. LengWard, canvasser, Palmerston North. Mr. Leng-Ward states that when motoring along the Karere road about 7.40 o’clock this morning he stopped to examine a racing bicycle lying in the middle of the road. He then saw tlie •fully-dressed body of a young man lying face downwards on the grass at the side of the road. Blood had congealed on the nose and ears, while there were marks of ■blood on his left hand. Mr. Leng-Ward immediately telephoned the police and a doctor, who told him, Mr. Leng-Ward says, that death was probably due to a fall from the machine or some such accidental cause.

The point at which the body was found is on an open stretch of country with no shelter of any kind. The weather was calm last night, a pale moon giving fair visibility. The bicycle was undamaged and was about 15 feet in front of the body. Though the police have enjoined ail friends and relatives of Blakeway to secrecy his movements have been traced. On Saturday he finished unplaced in a road race, after which two men, one tall and thin and the other of shorter build, accompanied him to the railway station. Yesterday he made an 89mile training ride to Pahiatua, returning at 6 p.m. He mentioned, to his landlady that he had had a fall, but was not injured. He later visited Miss Betty Meehan, with' whom he was friendly, at Karere, leaving the house at 11 p.m. Mrs. Meehan says her daughter accompanied Blakeway to the gate and returned. to the house with a strange premonition that Blakeway would soon return. So strong was this feeling that she delayed retiring for a lengthy period. This afternoon Mrs. Tanner recalled that at about 11.15 last night she and a woman friend distinctly heard sounds of agonised groaning, but assumed they came from cattle grazing nearly. Mr. Tanner, from whose home the news of the fatality was telephoned, and Mr. Meehan found two small empty cart-

ridge shells at the point where the body was found. Yielding to pressure, Mrs. Robinson, Ferguson Street, stated -this evening that Blake way, who had .boarded with her for the past fortnight, had an exceedingly happy nature, but was inclined to display a roll of banknotes, which he always carried. Friends warned him of danger, but their advice apparently was disregarded. Mrs. Robinson positively affirms that he was carrying at least £3O when he left home last evening. This morning all that was found was the sum of Is 4d. It is known that Blakeway gave one o-f the two companions who accompanied him 4° the station on Saturday £'2o to hold during the progress of the road race. An Otaki railway -employee, a friend of Blakeway, says he had £2O on Saturday.