Ghastly Affair at Auckland.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXII, Issue 3869, 4 May 1906, Page 2

Ghastly Affair at Auckland.

YOUNG MAN’S MYSTERIOUS DEATH.

Auckland, May 3.

James Fenwick, son of Robert Fenwick, of the T. and S. Morrin Company, who has been missing since Thursday last, was found last night huddled up in a heap on the floor of an outhouse in Mount-street, off Symonds-street. How be got there is a mystery at present extremely difficult of solution. Fenwick was unable to afford any information as to how he came to be whore he was found. His head | was doubled under him and the flesh appeared to have been eaten away. His bones seemed to be protruding through hie skin. His clothes had the appearance of not having been removed for days, and there was a terrible cut penetrating to the bone on the right temple and two lesser wounds on the forehead. It was evident that Fenwick had been lying in this cramped position for some days, if not since Thursday last, obviously without food and drink. This accounts for his shockingly emaciated condition. The door of the outhouse was locked from within, the key being in the lock. It is possible, although at present there is no evidence of it, that he was attacked in the street and ran into the outhouse from his assailant, locking himself in, and that he fell from exhaustion and loss of blood, Fenwick was removed to a private hospital where he died. The outhouse in which he was found stands at the foot of a flight of steep concrete steps. It is presumed he foil down the steps and sustained the wounds on bis forehead. He lay on his right side for several days. The wounds are such as could have been caused by falling forward on the steps. THE LATEST. Auckland, Last night. The mystery surrounding the death of James Fenwick lias not been yet cleared up, in fact the affair appears to grow more mysterious, The latrine in which deceased was found is at the foot of a flight of concrete stops, and one theory is that he fell down these steps injuring his head, and then got into the latrine, automatically locked tbs door and collapsed. The great reticence of the police, doctors, aud ail concerned, however, eeems to indicate that the accident theory is not considered satisfactory. It appears that the doctor asked the deceased if the wound was the result of a blow or fall, and he nodded his head, which of course might have meant either. The doctor then asked if it was the result of a row in the street, and deceased shook his bead. It is alleged that the deceased had visited several hotels on the night when last seen, and some of his comrades offered to see him home. He declined and was not seen again until found yesterday in the outhouse. The latest information is to the effect that a six chambered revolver with one chamber discharged was found in the pan of the latrine, and it is alleged that deceased said to his brother the morning before his disappearance, “ Oh, lam going to chuck all this.” The proceedings at the inquest tomorrow will probably be formal, and an adjournment will be asked for to give the police an opportunity of continuing their investigations. The affair caused a painful sensation in town,