FOWL-PEN MURDER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 940, 9 December 1933, Page 29 (Supplement)

FOWL-PEN MURDER.

Mysterious Melbourne Crime Baffles Police. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. (Special to the “Star.”) MELBOURNE, November 1. One of the most mysterious murders that has occurred in Melbourne in recent years is still baffling the Melbourne police. George Joseph Edward Mudford was found fatally injured in a fowl-pen, where he was hiding in order to catch a thief who had been stealing his fowls. lie was murdered in the early hours of September 23, the body being found by a constable. At the inquest some sensational evidence, was given by witnesses. Although the murderer was seen by a neighbour, no arrest has yet been effected. The Coroner (Mr Grant;, P.M.) w T as informed that although a reward of £250 had been offered, no information to make possible the arrest of the murderer had been supplied. Dr C. H. Mollison, Government Pathologist, gave evidence of the extensive injuries Mudford received. Death was due to injuries to the head.

Shown the barrel of a shot-gun, Dr Mollison said the wounds could have been caused by jabbing Mudford with the end which would join the stock. Had Double-barrelled Gun.

Clement George Mudford, 18, poultry farmer, of Sheffield Street, Preston, said that he and his father, tfie deceased, had conducted a poultry farm on a vacant piece of land in Sheffield Street, about 100 yards away from their home. Before September 22 witness’s father had missed a number of fowls, which, he thought, were being stolen. “ My father decided to keep watch,” Mudford said. “To do this he usually left home at 10 p.m. and returned at 6 a.m.

“He always had a double-barrelled breech-loading gun and an iron bar with him. The place from where he kept his watch was in one of the fowlpens, in which he had erected a bunk on which to rest.”

Continuing, Mudford said that the gun was usually loaded with two cartridges containing saltpetre. On September 22, however, his father put a few grains of shot in one of the cartridges and loaded it in the gun. He said that he had done so to make sure of one cartridge taking effect if the saltpetre one failed, in case of emergency.

“At 5.30 a.m. on September 23,” Mudford went on, “ 1 was awakened, and, following something I was told, ran down to our fowl-pens, where I saw a constable holding someone in his arms, whom I later recognised as my father.” “ Heard Mudford Shouting.” Alexander Gordon Stewart, grocer, of May Street, West Preston, said his yard adjoined Mudford’s poultry farm. Mudford had c plained of someone stealing his fowls, and said he was going to keep a watch. He asked witness if he would assist him should need arise, and witness said he would. “ I sleep in a sleep-out at the rear of the house,” said witness, “ r.nd on the morning of September 23 my wife woke me and said Mudford was calling. “I then heard Mudford shouting, ‘ Are you there, Mr Stewart—are you there, Mr Stewart?’ “ Then I heard a shot. I went to the dividing fence and called, ‘ Are you there, Mr Mudford?’ but I got no reply. I could hear a chain rattling, as if a dog chained to a wire line was running up and down. “ I didn’t go over the fence,” said Stewart. “ For my own safety I went back into my house and got my shotgun. “As I was going back to the fence I saw a man’s form emerging over the dividing fence from the poultry farm. “I said, ‘ls that you, Mr Mudford?’ but got no reply. 1 then called, 4 ls that you, Mr Gillison?’ thinking it was a neighbour. Again there was no reply and the form disappeared over a fence leading to a vacant allotment.” Witness added that he went to the police station and informed the police. He returned with a constable, and they found Mudford lying near a fowlpen. “ Kind-hearted Man.”

Detective Sickerdick (assisting the Coroner): Did you know Mudford well? Stewart: Neighbourly. He was a very kind-hearted man. You could not wish to speak to a better man. Can you describe the figure you saw ? —lt was a man sft Bin or 10in, and stocky. It was too dark for me to see any more.

Constable Robins said that when he reached the farm he found Mudford lying on his side in a pool of blood, lie was groaning slightly, and did not speak before he died four minutes later. Portion of the lock of a double-bar-relled breech-loading gun was found where he had been lying. The barrels were found beside a path between the pens and Stewart’s fence, some distance from the body.

To get there the barrels must have been carried and dropped. They could not have been thrown. There were signs of a struggle where the body lay, and of another some distance away. Two cartridge cases were found there, and there was a mark on the fence, as if one of them containing saltpetre had been fired there. It was there also that the stock of the gun was found. There were signs of a severe struggle where the body was found, with blood marks on a w'all of the fowl-pen. The Coroner recorded a finding of murder against an unidentified man, and added that a warrant should be issued for his arrest.