DETERMINED MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9660, 13 June 1882, Page 2

DETERMINED MURDER AND SUICIDE.

(per united peess association). „ Cheistchueoh, June 12. ', A ghastly crime is reported from the timber distriet-of Oxford, some thirty miles north-east of Ohriatchurch. The particulars so far known are given in one of the evening papers ,as follows : — This morning, at about 8.15, soon after the gang of platelayers of the Oxford branch had commenced work, and whilst two men, named Packnetz and Home, , were placing a sleeper on the trolly i another of the gang, named John Greenfield, who was standing behind with an adze in his hand, suddenly lifted the adze and said to John Home, who was helping to load the trolly, "You b I will do for you," and struck him with the adze behind the 'ear, the blade of the adze running across, the neck and penetrating in to a depth of 2 inches with the corner, and half severing the head from the body. The foreman of the gang, Packnetz, said, " John, what are you doing, man?" whereupon Greenfield rushed upon the ganger, and said, " You b I will do for, you too.'.' Packnetz ran away, and the murderer followed him for a considerable distance, when Packnetz sud- . denly turned upon him and seized him, and in doing so received a blow which the murderer aimed at him on the side of the head, but fortunately only with the handle of the adze. Packnetz then seized the adze and wrenched it from him. The murderer then ran away across the field on the opposite side of the main road, and was afterwards found by Sergeant Scott lying down in a furrow where there was only a small quantity of water. He was stretched at full length, in the furrow, with his face in the water. When turned over he was found to be quite dead. Home has lived a long time in Oxford, and during the greater part of the time has been employed on the railway. •He has a wife and family of seven children. He has been a steady and careful man, and has acquired some property. Greenfield has not been so long in the district, and leaves a wife and_ four children, the youngest of which is about six weeks old. From the position ' of the cut it must have been given whilst Home was stooping at the trolly with his back towards the murderer, the blow being given over the left shoulder. The adze, which is an ordinary carpenter'^ one, penetrated the full width, and almost severed the head from the body. Sergeant Scott was quickly on the spot, and both the bodies were laid at the Oxford Hotel, on beds side by side, by half-past 10 o'clock. The murder took place near Starvation Hill.