A VICTORIAN MYSTERY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1540, 3 August 1886, Page 3

A VICTORIAN MYSTERY.

A singubr mystery, known as the Maryvale mystery, is being investigated by the Victorian police. In 1874 a man named .Robert Cook left Mount Gambier for Horsham, together * it!) his wife and child, and having a horse and cart to travel with. From that time the couplo were never seen, nor cou'd any trace be found of them alive or dead until about two years ago, when two skeletons were found io the bush near Maryyale, These were proved to be thp remains of Mrs Cook and the child, They were covered with some light split limber, and their appearance W to the belief that the mother and child had been murdered. Nothing further eventuated till the 9th of the present month, when the skeleton I of a man and a dog were found within a few yards of where the other bodies were found two years before, and these were also covered by timber. They were found by £wo girls' looking for rabbits. A medical examination of the skull of the man showed that it had been driven in by an axe or.tomahawk behind the right ear. From evidence given at the inquest by a witness who knew Cook well it appears that the remains are not his. He

w;is s?t 6in in height, with very dark hair whi'st the remains were these of a man sft 7m high, and with fair hair. The remains of moleskin trousers were found with the skeleton and a pipe, whilst the witness who knew Cook declared he never wore moleskin trousers or had he ever seen him smoking. The skeletons were fmind within 100 yards of the main road, Great interest is taken in the case, as it is thought the remains may be those of a person known to have been intimate with Cook. The police stated that they were making enquiries tn America concerning Cook, and the inquest has been adjourned for two months.