A TRAPPER’S FATE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5885, 13 April 1920, Page 3

A TRAPPER’S FATE

TRAGEDY OF AUSTRALIAN BUSH

A message was received at Sydney police headquarters recently from the Bathurst police to the effect that the body of William D. Jones, aged 60, a rabbit-trapper, was discovered under a log about three-quarters of a milo from his camp at Barry, near Blayiney. Jones has been missing for a fortnight. De-tective-Sergeant Robson, of the. C.l. branch, lei 1 Sydney for Bathurst,, and aim'd u nuwi on, suspicion, lit is believed Jones was murdered about March Bth or 9th. On examination of the body a hole was observed in the back of the skull and a correspond ing hole in the forehead. An empty shell from a Winchester rifle was fouSnd near by, and there were traces of the body being dragged 50 yards to a log. The right hand trousers pocket, where it has been ascertained Jones kept Ids money, had been torn out. It now seems that over a week ago the old man was setting a trap at a burrow about a milo away from his hut, and in an area known as Morrison’s paddock, where he was fired on from behind, the bullet entering the skull and passing through to the front of the heard. Tho murderer thion apparently hid the deceased's hat in the burrow and dragged the body about 50 yards through ;l patch of bracken fern, and hid it muter a log. Hero it was found by a large search party recently alter a. dog had located the hat in the burrow. Ah examination of the hut showed that the place had been ransacked of cvcrythlug of thi' least value. The deceased’s horse and sulky, however, wore still there. The only motive attached to the murder is robbery. Jones was understood to have a fair sum of money hi his possession, and a lew weeks ago it is reported he was seen with .025 in Barry.