THE GATTON TRAGEDY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9644, 17 January 1899, Page 2

THE GATTON TRAGEDY.

■♦• ■ ,A Sensational Statement.

The Hill and Murphy Crimes the Work of the Same Persons.

(Received January IG, at 9.40 p.m.) Sveney, January 16. A resident of Gatton, at present on a visit to Sydnoy, confirms the persistent rumors that a nameless outrage was committed on Michael Murphy, showing that the perpetrators were inflamed by o, dia-. bolical feeling of revenge and beastialityHis opinion is that the police are no wiser abcut the crime than they were 20 days ago. Buisbane, January 16, The police havo good reason to believe that the Hill and Murphy orimes were the work of the same person or persons.

The spooial correspondent of the Brisbane Courier, telegraphing from Gatton on the 6th instant, says :— The members of the' Murphy family are as well as oan be expeoted after the fearfhi shock of last week. Old Mrs Murphy is a very devout woman, and rests on the Great Rock of her religion for consolation. Her chief prayers during the first bitter hours of the tragedy were for tho souls of those who had destroyed her children, and blasted the happiness of her home. What a sermon that prayer of the grief-stricken mother is 1 The Rev. Father Walsh has, indeed, been a comforter to the family in their bereavement, and during this week, 1 believe, the uuds at the Convent at> Helidon will visit Mrs Murphy at her home. The following is a copy of tho letter the subjeot of which was thought of sufficient importance to cable over to New Zealand a few days ago:— "Having read of the terrible tragedy, the fiendishness of which there is no parallel, being an astrologer, I have erected a chart of the heavens for the hour as near as I know that the foul crime was committed, and, believing I may be able to give some little assistance in bringing the monsters to justice, there are more than one, and they had horses, and they also reside and are walking about at large in a rough, billy place whore large oattle are, principally horses. The younger of the 'two has some slight impediment in his speeoh, a-tall stature, ruddy complexion, oval faoe, large nose, brown hair.a quarrelsome, gontentious person, and has had some accident to his lega from the hunches $qwn, or some peculiarity in his walk. He will have sortie mark or scar on his legs or feet, most'likely'upon' the right leg. ' One may be a widower. They are nearly due south from where the tragedy ocourred, and at really no great distance from the fatal place.. The younger would wear clothes of blue black, and the other would be darker still, buf not so tall as the jtaungerj and stouter made ; buf they are together, and in a high! i'illy place. The clothes would be rusty and dirty-looking, and'bojih will n'e captured for a Certainty. There are some indications that they are not altogether strangers to the victims. There are aspects' that 'show some ill-will or spite against the poor, unfortunate people.!-'' , "' , r '

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