A MYSTERY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17525, 30 April 1925, Page 1

A MYSTERY.

! KUROW TRAGEDY UNSOLVED. EXAMINATION OF SCENE. WAS THERE A QUARREL ? j (Special to the “Star/ ) DUNEDIN, April 80. If it. be proved that Philip Hudson has gone to his death, one of the great est mysteries in the. annals of Otago will remain unsolved. The tragedy has stirried Dunedin and North Otago as has no other tragedy for many years past. The father of the boy of nineteen, Mr Robert G. Hudson, is a member of the well-known biscuit and confectionery firm of Richard Hudson and Co., founded by the late Richard Hudson, thirty or forty years ago. The girl's parents are well-known in the Caversliam district, where Mr Rutherford controls an old-established giocery business. Young Hudson returned in November from a trip to the Old Country with his father and mother, and resumed his sweetheart relations with the girl. They were really boy end girl lovers and the affair had the full approval of the parents of both, the girl being an honoured guest, at the Hudson's house. Hudson was studying analytical chemistry at the University, preparatory to entering his father’s business, and the girl was employed in the local branch of ihe New Zealand Farmers’ Union. There is not the slightest suggestion that, there was anything amiss in the relations between the two young people. The only trouble that has been divulged is that a difference of opinion had arisen between Miss Rutherford and her mother relative to details of the former's employment. It may be added that the girl was most popular j with her fellow cmpioye.es. This trouble, a matter of no great importance, was really the start of tin incidents which have ended in a deplorable and remarkable tragedy. Whether the quarrel also led to an outbreak of jealousy, as has been suggested is only .a. matter of conjecture. The gir; had a very attractive personality and it is alleged that Hudson was not the onlysuitor for her hand. On Tuesday evening of last week Hudson, the girl and a young man lriend drove to Miss Rutherford's home at Caversliam. There they discussed the difference of opinion that had arisen between Miss Rutheriord and her mother. After some time spent in talk, the three drove back to the city, where the young friend left Hudson and Miss Rutherford about ten o’clock. Apparently the young woman was reluctant to return to her home because of the disagreement with her mother. As a matter of fact, she had already made, arrangements to stay in a private boarding house in the city and had taken a dress basket there. It is conjectured, however, that aftei Hudson and she had talked things over further, it was agreed that they should drive up to Hudson's brother’s property at Longsiip, where thev had spent Easter with Mr and Mrs' Hudson. They were last seen in Dunedin .at ten o clock, but of the time of their departure from there nothing definite is known. The next occasion on which the inn seat-er Austin sod an was definitely obwas at 7.1 Q a.m. or. the Wednesday morning, when Mr Condon, riding his motor-cycle along the road at Wharekori, near Jvurow, North Outgo, saw the car pulled up on the road. He to see if they were all right and received from a man, who was not sitting in the dpver’e seat, what he took to be a sign that everything was right. Later on, this motor-cyclist, as far as he could do so by seeing the wreckage, identified the ciar. At 7.30 a shepherd came past on horse pack. It was a foggy mojijinvr, but he was observant enough to notice that the wheel marks of a car led a wav from tire road towards the c-iif. He actually went on his way and performed a small task, but was uneasv about the marks he had seen and returned to investigate. This occurred a.’c-ut 7.30 a.m. Then he discovered what had taken, place. Philip Hudson's watch, which was Found near the girl, t.ad Hopped at ; /.25 a.m., so the tragedy hud there- 1 fo.i*o taken place between 7.10 and 7.25. How the tragedy was brought io its climax i 3 only a matter of cunjectui.. How was the girl shot? When sin. was shot, did she go over the cliff ui tho Condon favours the theory that the car was driven from where ho first; saw it over the 103 yards to the edge of the cliff. Two empty cartridge rases were found not far from where -Miss Rutherford Jay and it is thought I hey may have been jerked out of the If the foregoing theories are correct ihe question arises: What happened to Hudson? Heading down from whor-* Miss Rutherford lay to the bottom of the cliff there is a trail of blood on ino rocks. Philip Hudson's watch was found near the girl. So was his handkerchief. saturated in blood. The trail of blood ceases at the bottom of the • liff. where there is a small grass patch, ome ten yards v ide, and then loads on to the shingle. Stones are bloodstained at intervals uui.il the cdg.- oi the river is reached, some fifty yards atvav. The blood stains a.re distiimt. but ,-i■. not extensive over the sbinulo. 11 the times given by the motorcyclist and the shepherd may be I:akeu as correct, and this is very doubtful, then only twenty minutes can be allowed for the car to go over the cliff, for Hudson to scramble down and leave a trail of blood from the bottom J of the cliff over the shingle to the edge I of the Waitaki River, and disappearIt hardlv seems probable that: he went.

over in the car. II Hudson veut into j the river he mu. L have taken his go.) ! with him. as no trace of it can be j river, the police statement is that it j i> more than probable I hat the body « will never bo recovered, as the river | runs under overhanging ledges of rock' | into deep pools. « If Hudson is al l re the chances are f that he will be discovered, aud that l the mystery will be cleared up. If he is | not, details of the tragedy can only be |