Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931), Thursday 16 February 1928, page 13


EATEN BY SHARK?

CITY BUSINESS MAN BALMORAL MYSTERY.

T . P. COLLEY -PRIEST, who is al-leged to have committed suicide at Balmoral, was eaten by sharks, according to the police, who have found portion of his shirt, which showed distinct teeth marks, ob-viously made by a marine monster.

Colley-Priest, who was a manufacturers agent, carrying on business in Pitt-street, City, lived at Sutherland-street. Neutral Bay. He was well known in city busi-ness circles. Although be had been despondent for some time, as the result of business wor-ries, none of his friends had the faintest idea that he contemplated suicide. It was therefore, a great shock to them when early last Monday his hat, coat, and suitcase were found on Balmoral Wharf. In a pocket of tbe coat a note was found. which read: "Colley-Prlest gone mad." JOKE SUSPECTED Believing that Priest had thrown him self into the deep water off Balmoral Wharf, members of the Water Police and Balmoral police started dragging opera-tions, but without success. A doubt was then raised as to whether Priest had been drowned, and the suggestion was made that the note and other things might have been left as a practical Joke. The police, who had been working In boats for many hours, returned to the shore at 12.30 pm. on Tuesday. Shortly afterwards, a man on the wharf saw a body floating In the water, forced to the surface by the churning of the screws or a ferry boat which had just passed. He ran to Mr. Shearer's boat shed, and together they put off in a skiff to re-cover the body.

SAW MONSTER'S ATTACK After pulling some distance and fail-ing to find the body, they concluded that it had again sunk, and were returning, when one of the watchers on the shore signalled to them that the body had again made its appearance, and gave them the direction in which to steer. They saw the body some distance away, but when they arrived within a few yards of it, a huge object heaved out of the sea, grabbed the body, and disap-peared. Members of Mosman and the water police force kept a close watch on the beach and foreshores, and again com-menced dragging operations. Although they failed to find the body, a portion of the shirt, said to have been worn by Colley-Prlest during the week-end, was brought to the surface.