IS IT MURDER?

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 1

IS IT MURDER?

The Severed Arm Mystery. POLICE SURROUND HOUSE Dramatic Story May be Told in Court. (Special to the “Star.” SYDNEY, May 20 A fortnight ago I gave full details of the disappearance of James Smith and the mystery that has developed about the almost miraculous discovery of “ the severed arm.” It may be as well to recapitulate the main facts. James Smith, an ex-boxer and billiards marker, comfortably off and happy, left his suburban home at Gladesville on April 8. telling his relations that he was “ off for a few days' fishing." As he frequently went on such excursions, his wife and son were not anxious about him; but five days later (April 12) someone telephoned a neighbour asking her to let Mrs Smith know that her husband would not be home till the following Monday. When that day passed and Smith did not return, his relations began to be alarmed, but their inquiries led tc nothing. Then on April IS. Iloban, a well-known fisherman at Coogee, caught a huge tiger shark entangled in his line, landed it and placed it in a tank at the Coogee Baths, where he is ; employed. Astonishing Development. Then a week later came an astonish- j ing development—the shark ejected a human arm, with a piece of rope attached, and the arm was subsequentlv identified as Smith's, through a rough sketch of two boxers tattooed upon it. Though at first some doubt was thrown on this aspect of the case there seems no reason to reject the positive evidence of Smith’s brother, and of a Brisbane man once a trainer of boxers, who knew Smith well in 5 his pugilistic days and recognised the familiar mark at once. Accepting the identification as complete, one can only stand amazed at the almost in credible nature of the successive coincidences by which this clue to the disappearance of James Smith has been preserved. The shark which disgorged the arm was caught accidentallv through fouling the line, but that it should have been the very shark which had swallowed or dismembered Smith is even more remarkable, and that the fi? 11 " - i! he ° nly part of South's bodv that bore a mark ensuring identifica-tion—-should have found its wav into tne hands of the investigators is stil 1 astounding. The arm was not ejected till the shark had been in captnit\ for a week, and all the food it had eaten previously should have been long since digested. Scientists’ Views. But the scientists who have been consulted think that the shark's change of j cm ironment- and its subsequent illness ! may have prevented digestive action, j or the small piece of rope attached to ! the limb may have become entangled m the teeth and prevented complete

. BU V the fact rem ains that in this way the arm was found and that it is the arm of James Smith and it is the obvious duty of the C. 1.8. and thpolice to follow this strange clue as iZ %t S CVer - will lead th em. -The difficulty about an inquest is obvious enough. The Coroner is supposed to be satisfied that a man is dead by viewing” the body, and in this case tnere is no body to examine. The police, however, hold that when the arm was severed—whether by the shark or a murderer—the blood vessels 'were so torn that the man could not have survived without prompt surgical aid. and that, therefore, death mav be reasonably’ presumed and the inquest held. This is a matter for the law vers to decide, but meantime the detectives have not been idle, and during the p3Sj three days they have taken steps which are likely to lead to further sensational developments. Of course, the great difficulty in prosecuting the search for James Smith was to discover first if he had really gone on his projected fishing trip, and if so. who had gone with him. Smith’s brother interviewed scores of the missing man’s acquaintances and at last came upon a friend who said that he had spoken to “ Jimmy ” after he left home, by telephone, and that Smith said that he was at the Hotel Cecil, Cronulla. A Valuable Clue. This beautiful little marine suburb about 17 miles south of Botany Bay, and near the mouth of Port Hatching, is a favourite fishing resort, and this clue was promptly exploited with great energy. Scores of local residents were questioned and at last it was learned that Smith, on his fishing trips, sometimes shared a little “ shack ” with another man on the outskirts of the village. So the detectives searched the hut. dug up the land around it, scoured scrub and sandhills and dragged the bay close to the shore—all without result. But last Thursday another forward step was made. The police discovered that some of the companions whom Smith took fishing were often drunken and riotous, and that he had on more than one occasion to use his

knowledge of boxing in his own defence. Also Sergeant Lilian Armfield, who is head of our women police, found a woman at Cronulla who seems to have dropped a useful hint. Suddenly for- | saking Cronulla. the police made a I rush for the North Shore and surrounded a house at Kirribilli, just opposite the city. Their knocking at first produced no result; but then a man looked out of a window. He caught sight of the watchers, and made as if to jump out, but thought better of it, drew back, came down and opened the door. He was escorted to headquarters, interviewed for some hours, j an d then taken down to Cronulla. What j he told the police has not yet been j disclosed; but, apparently as a result ; of “ information supplied,” on Friday I they arrested one Patrick Brady, a ! shearer, aged 42, and formally charged j him with murder. Bail was refused j and Brady is now in custody. A Significant Point. It is perhaps significant that, when | arrested Brady was out on bail, havj ing been already charged with forging ! a cheque. But the detectives evidently ; got some leading facts from Brady, | for is now reported that a second | man is to be charged along with him, ! as implicated in the crime. In the : meanwhile, the police have returned i in force to Cronulla, and yesterday they i were engaged in searching and dredging j Gunnamatta Bay, an inlet of Port Hacking, which lies south of Cronulla, opposite National Park. It does not seem likely that they will find any vestige of Smith himself in the square mile of water that they are “ combing.” But they are j looking for some of his personal possessions, especially a tin trunk, which may throw’ some light on the tragedy. On the assumption that this is a case of murder—which now seems a reasonable one—the question of motive at once becomes important. Discounting the possibility of an ordinary drunken brawl, a great deal of interest centres round a vague story of certain docu- ) ments—plans and specifications of a ! valuable invention— Smith carried in an inner pocket and which have ! now disappeared. ' There are rumours afloat to the effect ) that Smith attached great importance j i to this invention, that he had interested | certain Sydney capitalists and investors in it, and that he had assured his relations that they would all soon be rich together. However this may be. public curiosity is thoroughly aroused and people are waiting eargerly to hear what Brady has to tell the court.