A Maniac's Crime.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxi, Issue 6077, 25 September 1903, Page 4

A Maniac's Crime.

The maniac who drove a tomahawk into a poor old man's brain as ho sat in the eun .it his door in Manilla, N.S.W., the other Jay, had been roaming about the lacality, pegging salt, tea, sugar, etc. About 3 j'clock he knocked at the back door of the residence ot one Cameron. .Mis Cameron was inside with her only child, a baby. She looked through the window and asked the nan what he wanted. He had been at the house previously, and his generai manner and appearanoe frightened Mrs Caraoron. He asked for paper and an envelope, and when those were supplied he went round to the front and came into the dining room, taking up a position near the tire, -lie asked Mrs Cameron to write a letter for him. Taking her child in her lap, she proceeded to write to hiu dictation. When completed, the letter ran :-—" Dear Friend—-Things are not too bright with me at present, but I aui about to make a big sacrifice for the dear Lord." The man, who had moved up to the tab.* 1, whilst Mrs Cameron was writing, asked her if she loved her baby. She replied} "Yes, certainly." He then s:iid, " Then that makes tLo sacrifice all the harder, because I hare a wife and child myself in Sydney." All the time he was toying with a tomahawk which he carried in his inside coat pocket. In order to divert his attention Mrs Cametvn tremblingly reminded him that he had not signed the letter, " Oh, sign it 1 Jones,'" said he, still toying with the tomahawk. In reply to another question be instructed her to address the letter to " George C. Moore, George street, Sydney." Handing the letter over to the man to see if it was right, Mrs Cameron seized the opportunity to escape. It was just after he left the house that he made the murderous attack on Hines. When secured he told the police that he had killed the old man and that there were others to go,