A Man's skull split open.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1288, 30 September 1880, Page 2

A Man's skull split open.

Crossing 1 tho io,id Mr Crawford was horrified to sec tliat the body w.is lymy in a pool of blood, and that a large trarih-vor-o cut extended across the back of the left ear downwards to the neck. The sknll had been divided shaqily as if hy pome edg-cd tool, whilo tho boft felt hat which lay near at hand also contained a clean cut si\ inches m length. Tho eoi pse w.ib lying evidently as> it Ji.nl fallen— face downwards — -and the hair of the head .aid lieaid weie all clotted with the l>lood that had exuded from tho wound in the fckull. The body wad that of a fresh com-

plexioncdman, about thirty-five ye^rs of a«rc, :md sft. Tin. in height. His hair, whiskers, and moustache, were of a brown colour. He was dressed in a brown cloth coat and tweed trousers, striped cotton hliirfc, .soft felt hat, and a pair of much worn boots.

Identification of the Body. Mr Crawford, after making a hurried examination of the body, and finding the man was quito dead, started off in .search of a con.stable, and fell in with SubInspector Pardy, to whom he communicated the dreadful facts above narrated. The Sub-Inspector immediately hurried to the bceno of the murder, and had the corpse removed to Evinson's, Eden Vine Hotel. The pockets, on being searched, weie found to contain a penknife, a pipe, a piece of tobacco, and a handkerchief. In the course of the morning 1 , the identity of the man was disclosed. He was found to be Mr Edward Race, who lives near Reo Shaw's boiling down establishment. He is a married man, and his wife and daughter, who were anxiously looking for him all night, on hearing of the out i ago, went and examined the body, and were horrified to find their fears but too .sorrowfully vcnfied. Their grief onmaking the dreadful dibcovery was very touching, and the police officers very considerately forbore from making any importunate requests for information. It was gathered from them that the murdered man left home last night about 7 o'clock for the purpose of attending the performance of "11. M.5. Pinafore." and it is theiefore conjectured that he was returning home along the North Road, when the Pijian came upon him and stealthily dealt the blow on the back of the skull, which must have fell him to the earth at once, if it did not actually prove instantly fatal. Some of the police are inclined to believe that the bloodthirsty miscreant dealt two blows, from the manner in which the hat was cut.