GRUESOME FIND

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 3221, 20 May 1924, Page 2

GRUESOME FIND

I HUMAN BONES IN KIVER. MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY RECALLED. A gruesome find, which it is thought, may definitely decide (he fate of the Rev. William Murray, of Normanby, who was lost on Mount Egmont in January of last year, was made in the Stony River by some Taranaki County Council workmen on Thursday last. Working- in the bed of the river, the men first discovered a tweed sac suit, and a few yards further down the stream later found the bones of a. human foot in a, boot and sock. The theory that the remains are those of .the Rev. Murray is based on the fact that no one else has been reported as missing on the mountain since he disappeared in the early part of last year. The Rev. Mr Murray was the Presbyterian minister stationed at Normanby, and on the day of his disappearance was making his way over the summit from the Dawson's Falls house, to the North Egmont House with a party of friends. Against, the advice of his friends he persisted in descending a precipitous gorge on the western side, of the summit. That was the last time that he was seen alive, although members of the numerous search parties, who scoured the mountain for over a fortnight afterwards, found traces of his wanderings. For part of the way he was traced by footprints and broken twigs and leaves, while two of his camping places were discovered, at one of them the heel of a boot with the initials "W.M." and the date, "31-1-23" being found.

Among the searchers there was a diversion of opinion as to whether this particular camping place was the scene of Mr Murray's first night's camp or where he spent the second night out. However, both theories' were tested, and the probable direction of the missing man's steps followed, but without result, a dead end to the travels being met at Bell's Falls. If the remains found on Thursday are those of Mr Murray, it would seem likely that he met his fate at this spot in an endeavour to get below the falls and make his way down the Stony River, which runs from the falls to Okato.

The Rev. E. J. Orange, of Eltha.ni, who was a member of the party which instituted a. search for Mr Murray, told a. reporter that the discovery tallies with the theory he formed at the time that Mr Murray was swept over the falls into the Stony River. Mr Murray was wearing a dark tweed suit similar in description to that found on Thursday, and at the time when he was last seen was also wearing a white cycling cape.