A TALE OF BLOOD.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3271, 7 August 1871, Page 3

A TALE OF BLOOD.

<$►_ The Colac mystery will hardly have been forgotten by our readers. In September, 18G9, the skeleton of a man was discovered underneath a heap of stones, about a mile and a half from the Tea Tree, in the direction of the Corangamite Lake. A mau and his son were stone-walling on the run of the late Mr Hugh Murray, when a rabbit darted out close by. The lad at once gave chase, and the animal took shelter in a hole, and when in the act of removing some stones to get at it, he discovered the entire skeleton of a man. That the man had been murdered, there was no doubt, as the right side of the skull was smashed in, the collar-bone broken, and several other bones fractured, and it was believed they were the bones of a shepherd formerly in the employ of the late Mr Murray, and who suddenly disappeared between sixteen and seventeen years ago, and was never again heard of } although his dog was frequently traced to the vicinity of where the skeleton was found. It was not to be wondered that no traces of the man were discovered before, as the body had been concealed in such a manner as to defy discovery, except by accident. At the inquest, the evidence tended to implicate a man named Geary, who was also missing, but the jury returned this verdict : — The jury are of opinion that the skeleton found at the Tea Tree is that of Thomas Bi\;okhouse, and that he was foully murdered by some person or persons unknown. The sequel is told by the " A 1 bury Banner" of Wednesday last under the head of " Suspected Murder." A strange case (says the "Banner") came before the Bench here on Monday. A man named Geary was brought up on suspicion of having committed murder some sixteen or seventeen years ago at Colac, in Victoria ; the only evidence as yet against him being a statement alleged to have been made by him to his mate, one Lynch, who swore in court that prisoner had confessed to him and several others that he had committed the murder, first by throwing the man on the fire, and then finishing him with an axe. Tho following is the report of the case : — John Geary, on remand, was charged with murder. Mr Inspector Singleton conducted tlio prosecution ; Mr Bwyer appeared for the defence. Thomas Lynch deposed : — I am a laborer in the employ of Mr Murphy, of the Piney Range, and have known prisoner for twenty years. His name is Patrick Geary. He was lately shepherding for Mr Murphy for two years. At Mr Murphy's, 1 asked prisoner what was the reason he had changed his name. I knew his name well, lie said, " I got to be a very bad boy siuce you parted with me." Since I parted from him in Tasmania, I never saw him till 1 met him at Mr Murphy's, at the Piney Range. Prisoner said, " I lived with a Mr Murphy, at Colac. A man came clown tn my place, who tracked the sheep to my place. I said to him, 'lf 1 find out any more of this work I'll see you for it.' " Prisoner also said he put him in the fire and followed him up with the axe and killed him, and got a horse rand made his wife help to put the body on <he horse. These were his own words. I never held out any inducement to prisoner to make this statement to me. The man whom prisoner said that he killed was called old Tom Brooks, or some such name, and was in the same employ as prisoner. By the Bench. : — Prisoner was sober at the time he made this statement. The first person that I mentioned this to was Mr Murphy. It was in prisoner's hut that he told me this. His wife was not there. I have seen her in Tasmania. I have no ill-feeling against him. I told him to keep his own counsel. He said the season his wife was not living with him was that they could not agree. By Mr Dwyer : I partly guess that of late there is a bad feeling between Mr Murphy and the prisoner. Tho prisoner was remanded for three days.