THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVERED HAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3225, 15 January 1886, Page 3

THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVERED HAND.

(By Telegraph.) Masterton, Jan. 14. During the last day or two, rumor lias been rife m Masterton m connection with the severed hand mystery. Howard was for some time m Masterton, and great interest is naturally taken here m the affair, especially a* it has gradually leaked out that he was what might be termed a corpse hunter. Ho was employed m different ways m Masterton, but he drew general attention to himself by making a number of rather fruitless attempts to get on terms with Mr T. Jngo, a wellknown undertaker. On the day of Mrs Ruyner's burial, Howard hung about MY Jago like his shadow, and though he did not create suspicion ho was certainly disliked. During one of his visits to the shop, he obtained a>- empty varnish tin, and it is generally thought that the only use he intended to put it to was to preserve whatever portion of a human body he could obtain possession of. Thi3 tin was given to him by Mr Jago. Howard directed suspicion against himself m Masterton by a number of acts. Among these it is stated that he occasionally went bathing m company, but that ho never wetted his head presumably to preserve his wig. More to the point is the fact that he w-is employed on a building contract for Mr owes and that Messrs John and Walter Cameron wrote several letters for him while he was thus engaged. Ono of these was to his wife, and covered £2 of money. So suspicious was he that he would not even allow the letter to go through the Post-office, but sent it down through someone he had been introduced to. Both the gentlemen named havo been subptcnaed to give evidence at the trial at Christchurch. The question as to how the hand was obtained is m itself a sensation. Howard was undoubtedly looking for something of the hiuH, and yesterday afternoon Detective O'Connor, who came up specially from Christchurch, dropped across a man who states that Howard offered him £10 if he would assist him m opening the grave of a man who died m tho Uo3iiital. and was accorded a Salvation funeral, his plea being that ho felt sure the deceased wa3 an old friend whom he was anxious to recognise. Howard may or may not have been successful m obtaining the assistance, of an accomplice, but it is generally believed that he accomplished his object m Masterton and that tho hand fouud on the beach at Sumner is a port on of the body of Mrs Rayner, who was buried here on the 25th November. Judging by photos of the hand, the majority of the deceased lad y's relations aro of opinion that the hand is hers. When suspicion was directed to tho idea of Mrs Rayner's body having beon mutilated, it was very naturaly resolved to open tho grave, but as the full consent of the trustee m her estate could not bo obtained, matters have been delayed pending tho receipt of an order from tho Colonial Secretary. This has now been obtained. It is a somewhat curious circumstance that the sexton, who did not quite complete his work of filling m tho grave of Mrs Eayner on the 25th November, which was a general holiday, found it had been completed for him when he returned to tho cemetery on tho morning of the following day. He, however, paid little attention to the fact, thinking that some of the deceasod's relatives had done tho work. There is little else to connect Howard with Masterton until Mrs Rayner's body has been exhumed and examined. The photo of tho hand is said to show several marks by which it can be recognised as that of Mrs Rayner. There is a scar on one finger which is of itself sufficient to establish the identity, but it is also reported that medical men havo recognised erysipelas m the hand, and it is a well-known fact that Mrs Rayner was suffering from that disease m her hand at the time of her death. It is probable the police will solve tho mystery so far as Masterton is concerned m tho course of tho day. The cemetery was watched all night by a largo number of people, who expected tho exhumation to take place, but were disappointed. WELLINGT.OH, Jan. 14. The Wellington police have heard that tho severed hand is from the body of a man who was buned m the Wellington cemetery about the 13th of December, and they havo applied for a, warrant to allow them to exhume the body. It is conjectured that Howard's injury to his arm was the result of blood poisoning by cutting the arm from a corpse.