THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3762, 22 October 1886, Page 3

THE GREAT BARRIER MURDER.

THE ARREST OF PENN. (Per Wairnrapa at AucMand.) Pcnn, who was complicated with Caffrey m tho murder at Great Barrier Island, v.19 arrested by Seniorconstnblo McLcllund on the evening of tlio lOih, within two milce of tho Macleny bar. Tho girl Graham was with him. Peon »nd tho girl wore lodged m Kempiey lock-up, when Pcnn was charged by McLelltnd 'with wilful murder. He replied that tho charge should be " implication m the crime." At tho Police Court nt Kenipsey on the following day Henry Albert Perm ras brought up before Captain Davis, R.M., nnd Mr C. Sutherland, J.P. Despite his three months' adventures at sea and his firo weeks' traversing of tho desolate coast, prisoner looked respectable. His deep-set black e;cs and pleasant faco stamp him as n man who is capablo of bettor things than murder. Inspector Harrison conducted tho prosecution. Scnior-conetßble McLelland, of Trial Biy, deposed to having arrested tho prisoner about six o'clock on the previous nigl.t, about- two milea from Mnclouy Heads, on t.ie Arakroon «i'Je. When McLolland first approached him, Perm went to meet him and esid that lie had come from a wreck. McLelland asked what wreck. Prisonor icpliod tho Sovereign of the Seas. This wus a voluntary stnt«niont. A femnlo was with him, when the coustnble then told the prisoner l\il ho would »■ rest him for tho murder of Robert Taylor on the Great Barrier Island m New Zealand. Prisoner said, " 1 wns there nnd implicated m the murder." The constable nskod him if ro had any firearms, nnd Peon handed to him a nickel 9ilvor British bulldog revolver loaded m all chambers. This \v«s produced m court. The girl with Pcnn wts carrying a single-barrel fowling pieco unloaded. In aswng which Perm acknowledge! wns his, witnessed found a powder flask aid shot, also two bullets and Borne caps. Shortly after arriving ut the police station at Aralroon, Sonior-Constable McLelland charged Perm that, m conjunction with John Caffrey, he did murder Robert Taylor on tho Great Barrier J sland, New Zealancl,on Juno 19th K»t. Perm repeated that he was there, and wus implicated m the murder. After a few words had passed, Perm asked if Caffrey had been arrested. Witness told him lio had, and he believed he had confessed to tho murder. Witness was m plain clothes nt tho time, but previous to arresting Pcnn he told him ho was a constable. The girl, when arrested, gave her name as Graco Graham, but afterwards snid her name wn3 Cleary. Captain Davis asked prisoners if llioy wished to put any questions, but ths prisoners declined to question witness, and were remanded to Sydney. The girl is to givo important evidence ngaimt the prisoners. Lizzie is 18 years of age, and belongs to Napier, New Zealand. She is rather good-looking. Perm tokl tho polico that ho and Lizzio had been living under a tent near Crescent Head for five weeks. When they first touched coast they landed near Port Stephens, and saw some men on the beach. Cnffrey then, m reply to a question, said that their vessel was a fishing craft. From that time till arrested Perm and Lizzio did not see a singlo pcr3on until Sunday fortnight, nhen they saw ono of the Port Macquario polico riding along the beach. Cnflroy's two companions on board the cutter Sovereign of tho Seas arrived m Sydney on the morning of tho llth by the Clarenco and Richmond Navigation Company's 4.8. ljui'cn of tho !"oulh. I'cnn'd mate wa* leg ironed and handcuffed. 'J he 'priwiicrA were brought down m charge of :i couplo of mounted constables. They were conveyed at one* to the water police lockup and charged beforo Captain Fisher with the fiim-dcr of Robert Taylor, and Grace Graham or Cleary us an accessory after the fact. l'onn bU'cs that tbo girl Graham luul been living with him on board the cutter for some time prior to tho murder. On tho day it was committed Caffrey and himself went ashoro to Taylor's place, and he was m the doorway of Inylor's lioiiso when Cadrcy shot Taylor. Pcnn acknowledges ho was carrying a revolver at the time, but m explanation enys that it. wns hij habit always to havo a revolver on on him. Tho girl was left on board the cutter whilo they wont oshorc, ami was quito unaware of tho object of their trip until some timo after their return, when they toll her nhsit had linpprned. On learning it, and being told that they intended to make away from tho New Zealand coast m consequence, sho pleaded hard to bo landed, but under tho circumstances they decided to take her with them. As already stated by Caffrey, Pcnn fays they tried to reach tbo American coast, where theyoxpected they would bo safo from discovery, but meeting with fivo or six severe gales and tho cutter becoming m such a leaky condition as to inspire them with great fenrs for safely, they eventually turned back nnd succeeded m reaching tho Now South Wales ceasl. Perm confirmed CftfTroy's statement that tlioy cuiuo us far south ns Sydney Heads, but finding 100 many craft about went north again m the hope of < Hec'tinc a landing on the Queensland coast. Whether they were afterwards wreck'd, or landed, and wrecked tho cutter afterwards, Term did not say, but according to his own account ho and Caffrey commenced to quarrel almost itnmodiutely after I hoy set fail over tho girl. Cuffrcv, on tho principle that dead people tell no , tale.3, wanted to shoot Graco Graham ; but Perm, bt-twecn whom nnd the girl thero appears to hsvo existed a stronj affoction, objected. After thi», tho dread of murder being ever present, Perm nnd tho girl enmo to an arrangement by which ono of them always | remained nwakc whilst the other slept, Perm throughput tho voyage keeping his revolver ', loaded ready to upo m the event of any cruelty > on tho part of Caffrey. After they landed near Bellinger river, Coffrey, Perm, and [ tho girl camped together for a fortnight. Tho same quarrel about tho girl continued on [ shore, Caffrey arguing it was necessary for safety that sho should bo put out of the , way.' At last, on the 14th day, Caffrcy aslted | Ponn to go for n. walk with him as ho had something particular tp talk to him about, i Perm made up his mind that Cuffiey's only ; object was to get him away from the girl into '• tho bush nnd there shoot him, nnd on that | account refused to stir from where lie was. High words followed, which culminated m ', Caff rev parting company with them. It wna \ the intention of Fenn and tho girl to get b married ns soon as they could poseibly manage ) it. t CAFB-REY IN SYDNEY. Wbcn Caffrey arrived m Sydney thousands

assembled outside tho wharf gates, and hundreds were on the topt of numerous rooff, and even m the rigging of vessels lying m the immediate vicinity. After the vesiol came alongside a posse of water police went on board, and no time was lost m bringing Caffrey ashore. He was Btrongly m&nacled, both by the hands and nnkles. Wh»n outside tho gates the police had some difficulty m kcoping the crowd back. The police conveyance, an open two-wheeled dogcart, was waiting, and into this he was immediately hoisted, as having] the shackles on ho could not freely use his hands. Tho driver had a difficulty m piloting his way through the surging mats of people, and on the rond from the wharf repeated groans were given by tho people. Caffrey evidently felt his position very keenly, and he evidently did not care about tho thousands of eyes focussed on him. He pulled his slouched wideawake hat as far over his face as it was possible to go, and also bent his body m wardly so as to hide himself as much as possible. A largo crowd followed the vehicle to Iho police court, where he wns duly arraigned on the capitalchargo. Tho arraignment, however, was merely of a formal character, and he was remanded pending the necessary extradition warrant from Now Zealand. From one of his captors it is learned that Caffrey has been most quite and submissive, and has occasioned no trouble whatever. Ho was of course watched continually on tho way down from Kempsoy, and Constablo Reynolds had little or no sleep for over three days and nights owing to tho unromitting guard he kept over theprisonor.