That Mysterious Hand.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1779, 6 January 1886, Page 2

That Mysterious Hand.

ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD THE INSURANGE COMPANIES. HOWARD, THE MISSING MAN, IN THE WAIRARAPA. HIS ARREST AT PETONE. Our readers will remember that not many days ago a human hand was picked up at Sumner, near Christchurch, and it was indentified through a ring upon one of the fingers as belonging to a man named Howard. The man’s life was insured for £2400, but the Insurance Companies did not consider the evidence sufficient to hand over to the widow the amount of insurance. The hand had been picked up by two men, and the ring corresponded with one worn by Howard, but believing the whole affair was planned to obtain the insurance money, the two men and Howard’s wife were arrested for conspiring to defraud. It was given in evidence by oertaiu jewellers that the engraving on tbe ring had only lately been done, and not by an engraver. A period of silence followed, when on Monday last it was reported that the man Howard had been arrested at Petone the same afternoon. From the Wellington papers we learn that Howard, (who gave tbe name of John Watson when arrested), has been in the Wairarapa, end was employed as a carpenter upon Messrs B. and J, Cameron's Waitipi Station. He left this place about five weeks ago, and went to Wellington, and for the last fortnight he has been working at Petone at the Gear Meat Company’s works, and routed a room in the township. On Monday afternoon Constable Harnett, of the Hutt, arrested Howard. He knocked off work last week, inconsequence of some boils, which he bad on his right-arm, whibh he carried in a sling. As he denied his iudentity, Constable Harnett examined him, and found that the man was minus a thumb, which tallied with tbe description forwarded by the police authorities at Christchurch. When he was taken to the Wellingtou police station be was asked to sign his name on the property register, but said that be could not sign, as his arm was bad, and asked that they should sign for him. When he was asked what name be wished to be entered by he replied, “ You know ; the name you mentioned, not tbe name I gave.” He asked Inspector Goodall for a linseed ponltice for his arm, which was supplied to him. He then said to Inspector Geodall, “ Yes, you hare the right man. When I saw in tbe papers that my wife was arrested, I made op my mind to give myself up, as she is altogether innocent." He added, after asking Mr Goodall if be was the Inspector, “ I suppose, after all, I had not the pluck to give myself up.” He asked what would be done with him, and Inspector Goodall replied that an order would be asked for his remand, at tbe Resident Magistrate’s Court to Christchurch. Howard is about 25 years of age, 6ft 9in in height, medium built, rather stout about the shoulders and chest, fresh complexion, light brown hair, beard, whiskers, and moustache, right thumb and right the wanting, soar on back of neck ; is Scotch ; works as an enginefitter, and also as a carpenter. He had his life insured in tbe Government Life Association for £1000; £IOOO in tne Mutual Life Association of Australia ; and £4OO in the Accident Insurance of New Zealand. On tbe afternoon of tbe 10th October be spoke of going to Sumner to bathe and his clothes were subsequently found on tbe sea beach there. On the 16th December a human hand was found on tbe sea beach at Taylor's Mistake, near Sumner, having on one of the fingers a gold buckle ring, with the initial! A.H. engraved thereon.