OLD MAN MURDERED
THE STEWART ISLAND TRAGEDY
BLUFF RESIDENT ARRESTED
The ‘Southland Times’ of to-day gives the following account of the tragic happening at Stewart Island: —
The quiet of Stewart Island was broken yesterday morning when it was learned that Andrew Josey, a wellknown identity, had been done to death. The excitement reached its height when Arthur Valentine, accountant for the Bluff Harbor Board, who was recuperating at the island after the assault upon him in the Harbor Board’s robbery case, was arrested by Detective Carroll on a charge of murder.
From the facts available it appears that Josey was staying at the house of Mrs Walschleger, a widow, who lets rooms at Horseshoe Bay. He usually occupied a house owned by Mr W. Todd, of Invercargill, but owing to the dwelling being let he was obliged to take a room until Mr Todd had built a crib for his use. Arthur Valentine, who is a trustee for the estate of Josey, arrived at the island last Saturday to rest after the exciting episode of the board robbery, and occupied a room at the same house.
The tragedy occurred at 4 a.m. yesterday, when Mrs Walschleger, who is slightly deaf, was awakened by loud noises on the top floor where Josey slept. She declares that she heard Josey cry “Help! Help! He is killing me! He is killing me for my money.” Terrified, she rushed out of tho house and hammered at the door of a neighbor, Mr J. Edwards, a former employee of the Bluff Harbor Board, and roused him out, being too afraid to go up to the room herself. Mr Edwards went across with her and then hurriedly summoned two young men, James and Gordon Brooklands, one of whom went across to Halfmoon Bay for Constable Woodley, who was quickly on the scene, in company with Nurse Heaton, the district nurse. They found that Josey was dead, and Constable Woodley took charge of Valentine, who was in bed, and kept guard over him till the arrival of Sergeant Tonkinson, of Bluff, and Detective Carroll, of Invercargill, who had been advised of the tragedy.
In an interview with a ‘Times' reporter, Mr J. Edwards gave some interesting information. He said he was awakened shortly after 4 a.m. by Mrs Walschleger, who was crying out that a murder was occurring in her house. He promptly accompanied her back to the house, where he was amazed to find Valentine standing at the front door dressed in pyjamas over which he wore an oilskin coat which was bespattered with blood. He was calmly smoking a cigarette, and Mr Edwards said: "What’s wrong here? What have you been doing?” Valentine kept on smoking, and replied: “Where are all these Germans? Where’s my sword and gun?” Mr Edwards made no reply, and leaving Valentine standing at the door went away to get the Brooklands boys to go across to the police station, and after doing so returned to the house with Mrs Walschleger, who was crying bitterly. They entered the house and went in to Valentino’s room, where they found him in bed in his pyjamas with bloodstains on them.
Valentine said: “Shake hands,” and extended his hand to Mr Edwards, who refused it. Mr Edwards then said: “Well, what’s the matter with you? What have you done?” Valentine said: “I am in great pain. My back! My back!” and then commenced to shake all over as if he had the ague. He appeared to talk wildly and Mr Edwards could not understand what he said afterwards. Mr Edwards then went into the kitchen. Constable Woodley then arrived with the nurse and went up to Josey’s room on the top floor. They found Josey was dead, and the constable then took charge of Valentine, who appeared to be quite indifferent to what was taking place. Two men named Johnson came across and sat with the constable till the police arrived from the mainland.
SCENE OF TRAGEDY.
The top floor room in which the tragedy occurred was spattered with blood, and showed traces of a terrible struggle of life and death. The deceased, Josey, was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, his features being terribly disfigured, evidently by some blunt instrument, the police theory being that it was done by a heavy manuka stick. His wrists were bruised and cut also by his endeavors to shield himself from the blows which must have been administered with tremendous force.
VALENTINE ARRESTED.
Detective Carroll, of Invercargill, and Sergeant Tonkinson, of Bluff, travelled across by the tug yesterday morning, and on arrival at Halfmoon Bay were taken by car to Mrs Walschleger’s, where Constable Woodley was in charge of Valentine. Detective Carroll formally arrested Valentino on a charge of wilful murder, the accused showing no signs of emotion one way or the other.
GREAT EXCITEMENT ON ISLAND
Great excitement was shown at Halfmoon Bay prior to the departure of the tug at 3 p.m., the wharf being lined with spectators eager to see the arrested man.
On arrival at Bluff Valentine was taken straight away to the Police Station, and appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the evening, when he was remanded to appear at the Invercargill Police Court on December 22. He was taken to Invercargill under the charge of Constable Skipworth at 6. 20 p.m.
ANDREW JOSEY VERY POPULAR
Andrew Josey, the murdered man, was held in great respect by the Stewart Island and Bluff folk who knew him. He was a Javanese, and arrived in New Zealand many years ago on the sailing ship Othello, and has since resided at the island. Those who know him estimate his age at from eighty-five to ninety years. He walked fairly straight, although at times he used a stick to assist him. For many years he was a fisherman at The Neck, Stewart Island, and being a man of saving habits, he had acquired sufficient money to render him independent for the rest of his life. -Evening Star, 15/12/1927.
Arthur Valentine, accountant of the Bluff Harbour Board, who was trustee of Andrew Josey’s estate, at Stewart Island, has been remanded on a charge of the wilful murder of Josey, who was aged 80 years, and a Javanese fisherman. He was terribly mutilated. -Pahiatua Herald, 19/12/1927.
STEWART ISLAND TRAGEDY
ACCUSED MAN DIES.
(Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, December 23.
Arthur Victor Valentine, who was charged with the murder of Andrew Josey, died suddenly at Borstal, at nine o’clock this morning, supposedly from heart failure.
When accused appeared in Court on Thursday, his haggard expression and heavy breathing indicated severe mental tension.
The inquest will be held to-morrow. -Greymouth Evening Star, 23/12/1927.
PICTURESQUE STEWART ISLAND SHOCKED BY SAVAGE CRIME
THE name Andre Jose, or perhaps more popularly, Andrew Josey, had become inseparably associated with Stewart Island history.
He was a quiet old man who could look back over a period of half a century on the island, where he lived industriously and conscientiously by the humble occupation of fishing.
If one wanted romance, no better venue could be imagined than Stewart Island, the Maori name for which, "Rakiura," means "Land of Heavenly Glows."
If one wanted an important link in the history of the country, this remarkable region could supply that, too. But the word murder seems pitifully out of place here, where all that is peaceful and tranquil is symbolized by natural surroundings.
Old Andrew Jose had no enemies. He asked no favors and had achieved independence by the steady industry of his many years on the island. Yet it was strange indeed that the old man had to be sent from his pleasant island existence to eternity through the ruthless hand of the murderer.
A man named Arthur Valentine, an accountant to the Bluff Harbor Board, was later arrested and charged with wilful murder. He died last week. Until the whole facts are brought out there can, of course, be no room for conjecture. The only undisputed facts at present are that Jose is dead; he had, without doubt, been murdered and the man charged with the crime has followed his alleged victim to the grave.
Horseshoe Bay, where the murder was perpetrated, is a quiet, pretty little spot just over the spur from Half Moon Bay.
It was there that Old Jose could be seen regularly plying his nets and troubling no one.
A Javanese, the old man was quiet, even-tempered, cheerful and industrious.
In the early morning of Wednesday, December 14, Mrs. Walschleger, the landlady of the house where Josey was staying, was awakened by the old man crying out: "Help, help! He is killing me for my money!" This was accompanied by a commotion in the room above.
She rushed out of the house for a neighbor and subsequently the police were summoned.
Josey was dead when they found him, terribly battered, presumably by some blunt instrument.
His face was horribly disfigured, the floor was splashed with blood and there was every indication of a struggle having ensued.
Valentine, who had gone over to (text missing)
two of the Brooklands boys had been despatched for the police, he returned to the Walschleger house. There he found Mrs. Walschleger, over-wrought by the ghastly turn which, seemingly, the customary placid, easy-going affairs of the island had taken and she was crying bitterly.
Shortly afterwards, Constable Woodley arrived with District Nurse Heaton, but poor Josey had suffered injuries which placed him absolutely beyond all hope of recovery.
The interior of the little room upstairs was an absolute shambles and for a moment the constable could not see the old man's body.
The few articles which comprised Josey's unpretentious little bedroom suite had been hurled left and right, the condition of the cubicle clearly indicating the desperate fight which Josey had made for his life.
There were blood splashes everywhere — on the walls, on the floor, on the bed and bed-linen, whilst the simple bed on which poor Josey had found so much restful comfort in his advancing age was literally turned upside down.
The struggling men had caused the mattress to cant, dislodging the wooden laths and causing the bed to partially collapse. Whilst Constable Woodley was examining the room he found the body of Josey, hideously lacerated, resting on the laths and covered by the mattress and bedclothing which had been piled on top.
His clothing was almost saturated with blood, whilst the facial expression and apex of the skull were battered to the most horrible degree.
Kerosene had been spread over the floor and it seemed as though the person who had committed the dastardly assault had conceived a scheme for firing the place, thereby erasing effectively any trace of evidence which should place the murderer within the law's apprehension.
Seemingly, however, whoever was the cause of Josey's death had insufficient stamina or determination to carry his original plan into complete effect.
Although there is the suggestion that someone had attempted to set fire to the bedclothes — and it is understood that part at least of the bed linen was partially burned — there is not, us yet, any direct proof that these were not so damaged on some previous occasion.
The fell work had apparently been done with a short, thick piece of manuka, about two feet long by two and a-half inches thick and evidently taken from a wood pile.
But although at least a dozen blows were struck with the full force of a strong man's arm, no marks were visible on the surface of the weapon.
As soon as the nature of the tragedy had been established, a telephone message was transmitted across to the mainland and shortly before one o'clock in the afternoon the tug arrived with Detective John Carroll, from Invercargill, and Sergeant Tonkinson, who has charge of the Bluff police area. It was then that Valentine was taken in charge, placed aboard the boat and handcuffed. When the tug arrived at the Bluff landing-stage a big crowd had gathered.
The house in which the murder was committed stands near the edge of a 100ft. cliff overlooking a point of Horseshoe Bay, in one of the loneliest and most secluded parts of Stewart Island.
Visitors who are desirous of viewing Horseshoe Bay from this particular vantage point have nearly threequarters of a mile to walk along a bush track, after they have alighted from a motor-car which takes them nearly two and a-half miles along the road from Half Moon Bay.
The scenery is delightful and poor Andrew Josey must have spent many a delightful hour amid the restful quiet of his island home.
That is the tragic story of poor old Andrew Josey's end. It will be hard to think of Stewart Island now without the familiar figure of the old Javanese fisherman bent upon his oars at dusk bringing in the nightly haul of fish.
No tourist in that region saw Stewart Island without being told the story of the murdered man. Fifty years is a long time to spend in a remote place like the "Land of Heavenly Glows" and there are those old identities who can recall the coming of this stranger to settle on the island.
Essentially a native settlement Josey was beloved by natives and whites alike, particularly the children, and if greater tribute was required as to his popularity it would be hard to imagine a more pathetic picture than was presented the Sunday following (text missing)
the floor behind the counter, with a narrow cut approximately four inches above the right temple, whilst a heavy plush-covered weight, used by draughtsmen, was found lying at his feet.
All the notes had disappeared, but the silver remained where it had been placed by Valentine just before he was allegedly assaulted by an unknown assailant.
Not a trace of the thief or the missing money has yet been found and it was evident that whoever assaulted Valentine had studied the lay-out of the building and had familiarized himself with the routine of the office.
The weight with which the alleged thief struck Valentine had been taken from the draughting office upstairs. What happened to that missing £240 still remains unknown. However, this mysterious incident is another story. And the man who could have thrown most light on the strange affair — the alleged murderer of old Andrew Josey — is now dead. For word was received last week that Valentine, while awaiting trial on the capital charge, had died suddenly in custody. Heart failure, it is stated, was the cause of death.
It appears that when Valentine came before the court a few days after his arrest considerable comment was aroused by his haggard features and evident mental anguish. -NZ Truth, 29/12/1927.
Arrested In Bed
Stewart Island and was staying at the same house as the old man, was apprehended shortly afterwards and charged with murder. He was in bed when arrested and was taken to Bluff.
It is stated that on the Tuesday evening following the Saturday on which Valentine arrived at the island, he and the old man had played cards till about midnight, apparently on the most friendly terms, and that nothing was amiss when they retired for the night.
Mrs. Walschleger, who is well over 60 years of age, had retired some time before, and slept in the front room on the left-hand side of the downstairs portion of the house.
Valentine, it appears, slept in the room situated on the opposite side of the passage, whilst Josey occupied a small cubicle, measuring scarcely more than eight feet by seven, partitioned off from the remainder of a long, narrow upstairs room by a pitchpine screen. The narrowness of Josey's quarters may be judged from the fact that his small bed fitted almost exactly into one end of the tiny apartment. His bed was of the variety seen a good deal in the country districts — -NZ Truth, 29/12/1927.
OLD MAN KILLED.
STEWART ISLAND TRAGEDY.
ATTACKED IN BEDROOM.
FOUND DEAD ON FLOOR.
EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.
[BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] HALF MOON BAY, Wednesday.
The coronial inquiry into the death of Andrew Josey, an octogenarian, of Stewart Island, who was found murdered a month ago, was held to-dav, before Mr. Gregg, J.P., and a jury of six. Inspector Bird conducted the inquiry.
Dr. James Torrance, of Bluff, who examined the body of deceased on December 14, said it was lying under the wreckage of a wooden bed. A batten belonging to the bed was grasped in the hand. Witness described the injuries. The cause of death was shock and loss of blood. All the wounds could have been inflicted with the piece of wood produced.
Mrs Catherine Walshchlegger, who resided at Horse Shoe Bay, said that on December 10 Josey and Arthur Valentine came to her house. Valentine asked her to put them up and she agreed, Josey saying he would pay the board. They played cards on the Tuesday evening, but not for money. At midnight they went to bed, Valentine occupying a room at the front of the house and Josey a room upstairs, just over witness room.
Vain Calls for Help
"About four o'clock I heard bumping noises" Said witness, "and Andrew called "Walshchlegger, help me, help me. I couldn't help him, for I couldn't get in." Witness said she went to Valentine's room, but he was not there. She went to Josey's room, but the door was locked and she couldn't get in. She called out, "Open the door, Andrew." He replied, "I cannot. Valentine has the key." Later she called, "Arthur Valentine, are you there? Open the door," but received no reply. While she was at the door Josey cried out, "Arthur has robbed me of all my money. I'll die, I'll die." Witness said to Josey, "I can't get in, Andrew, I'll go for Edwards." She went for Edwards, and when she came back found the doors locked fast. Eventually Valentine let her into the house. He had blood on his pyjamas and overcoat. Witness remained in the kitchen until Constable Woodley came. She told Valentine to go to bed, and he was there when the constable arrived and stayed there till the police arrived from Half Moon Bay.
Inspector Bird: Were there any strangers round Horse Shoe Bay at the time? — No.
The Inspector: Did he make any reference to Germans? — Yes. He said: "Where is my bayonet?"
Door Securely Locked.
Continuing, witness said: "When I go to bed at night I always lock the door, and I did so on the night in question, and I was the last person up that night, as I always bank the fires. The windows were locked on the ground floor, but not on the top floor. Valentine was with deceased when he chopped some wood on the Tuesday afternoon. There was no sign of liquor on either Valentine or deceased on the Tuesday."
Nurse Elizabeth Lillian Heaton, district nurse at Half Moon Bay, said: "At 7.30 a.m. on December 14 I received a call to go to Mrs. Walshchlegger's house, and I arrived there about 8.30. I went upstairs to deceased's room and found him lying in a huddled position under the bedding. He was dead, and had been badly injured about the head and arms. He appeared to have been dead about five hours. I did not interfere in any way with the body until the doctor arrived.
"After ascertaining that life was extinct, I went downstairs with Constable Woodley and saw Valentine, who was sitting on the side of his bed. He complained of pains in the back, and I examined his back thoroughly, but could find nothing. I asked him to say whereabouts the pain was, but he would not say. He seemed rational, but dazed and depressed, and in a highly nervous state. I attended him until the doctor came. He was dressed in pyjamas, with his trousers over them, but I could not see any blood stains."
Storekeeper's Evidence.
James Edwards, a retired seaman, living at Horseshoe Bay, said that about four o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, December 14, Mrs. Walshchlegger came to his house and he accompanied her to her house. Valentine was standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette. Witness asked Valentine what was the matter and he made no reply.
Thomas Bragg, storekeeper, said he had known deceased as long as he could remember. He had lived at Stewart Island for about fifty years. From what witness had been told he considered deceased was about 76 years of age. On December 8 deceased spoke to witness about a robbery at the Harbour Board office. He told witness he had got Valentine to invest £200 in Bluff Harbour Board debentures. He said that Valentine had received £150 from him to lend to his brother although on the documents he showed witness the loan was to Arthur Valentine himself. One document was Arthur Valentine's acknowledgment of a loan of £150 from Josey for four years, at seven per cent., and due for repayment in 1928. Witness Said he knew Valentine's writing well. Josey, hearing what had happened at Bluff, was afraid he would lose his money. Witness advised him to go to Bluff and see Valentine, but the day he was going Valentine arrived at the island.
A Constable's Evidence.
The day Valentine arrived he lunched with witness. He appeared quite rational and chatted all the time. One remark he made witness did not understand, "The people of the island used to complain about me, but they'll find they will have more to complain about soon."
Constable Woodley, of Half Moon Bay, said when he arrived at Mrs. Walshchlegger's house at 8 a.m. on December 14 he found the room in which Josey had slept in disorder. Deceased was lying underneath the mattress on the floor in a pool of blood. The body was cold. The room showed signs of a struggle.
Continuing, witness said he went downstairs to Valentine's room where Valentine was lying in bed in his pyjamas. He appeared to be sleeping, but witness shook him and said, "What is the matter with you." Valentine said: "The Germans came up early this morning. I heard Andrew call out "Help, help." I went upstairs and he turned on me." He became silent then, but later on asked for a drink of water. Witness detained Valentine until the arrival of the senior detective from the mainland. It was hard to say whether Valentine was sane or not, but he afterwards became rational.
On two cretonne-covered boxes upstairs witness found the manuka sticks produced. There was blood on the walls.
Detective Sergeant Carroll described his visit to the house on the day of the murder. Josey's room was in disorder. Kerosene had been spilled on the floor just inside the doorway and on the landing a pillow was partly burned and the floor slightly charred. There was nothing about the window of the room by which anyone could have reached it from the ground, 15ft. below. Witness saw Arthur Valentine, who was in a room downstairs, in answer to questions he said: "I heard a cry for help. I put on my overcoat. I heard the cry again and I went upstairs to Andrew's room. The door was partly open and I went in. It was not quite daylight. Someone started fighting me. I had a sort of a delusion that Andrew hit at me with a board. I hit him with something. I don't know what it was. I went downstairs and got an axe. I did not take the axe upstairs."
Documents Not Found.
Witness said he arrested Valentine on a charge of murdering Josey. With Constable Woodley, witness made a thorough search of deceased's effects at Mrs. Walshchlegger's and also his property at Mr. Todd's house at Half Moon Bay. "We were searching particularly for the documents referred to by Mr. Bragg in his evidence," said witness, "but were unable to find any trace of them. From inquiries made I have ascertained that when Arthur Valentine sold deceased's house in Bluff he received the full amount, £350 in cash. I also ascertained that at the time of Josey's death Valentine was not holding any Bluff Harbour Board debentures for him. He had disposed of them at least 12 montns before Josey's death. These debentures matured on December 31, 1927."
After a short retirement the jury returned a verdict "that the deceased met his death at about 4 a.m. on December 14 through shock and loss of blood by injuries received by the hand of Arthur Victor Valentine."
The police and members of the jury all made a contribution toward the cost of having Mrs. Walshchlegger's house renovated.
Arthur Victor Valentine died suddenly last month at the Borstal Institute, where he was awaiting the hearing of the charge of murder against him. At the inquest Dr. Crawford said deceased had manifested symptoms which resulted in witness recommending his early transfer to Seacliff Mental Hospital for observation. Both the heart and the kidneys were greatly enlarged. Death was caused by progressive clotting of the blood in the heart, causing cardiac syncope. A verdict was returned accordingly. -NZ Herald, 12/1/1928.
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