Suspected Murder at Pakiri.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1379, 11 July 1874, Page 3

Suspected Murder at Pakiri.

INQUEST ON THE BODY,

TERRIBLE DISCLOSURES

An inquest was commenced this afternoon a< the Terminus HoteJ, WynyardPier, before Dr T. M. Philson, Coroner, and a jury on thtbody of a woman named Eliza Battersea, who came by her death it was suspected by violent means. A man named Charles Dyer has been arrestecl~under the following circumstances :—He is a settler well-known in Auckland, and for many years past has been engaged in the timber trade on the Pakiri river, has for a considerable time been living with the deceased as his -wife, and, as is natural in such a condition, their lives have been anything but pleasurable. Dyer is a widower, and has a little place in the bend of the river, where he has lived with the deceased woman. For some cause or other Dyer grew jealous of his companion, and was in the habit of beating and otherwise ill-treating her ; and it is alleged that on Thursday last he made a violent attack upon her, beating her in a brutal manner. He then poured a quantity of kerosene oil upon her head, and set fire to it. In an instant her body was in flames, and Dyer, it appears alarmed at the result, wrapped a sack around her body, and threw her into the water, where she was seen by a man named Watson who got her out. Dyer assisted him in carrying the poor creature to the hut, where she was placed upon the floor. Mr George Sharp, employed by the prisoner, came in and aided in washing the mud from the wounds of the sufferng woman. The lower part of her clothes had been burned away as far as the waist, and all the upper part of her body was scorched to a fearful extent. The hair was singed to the scalp. Salad oil was poured on her wounds, and she was placed on board until the departure of the Prince Rupert. Ellis Dyer, son of the accused, went in search of a constable, who took Dyer into custoyd and brought him and the woman to town in the Prince Rupert. The patient lingered on in great agony until nine o'clock last night, when she died on board the ketch. Dyer alleges that the ignition of the woman's clothes was quite accidental; that she upset a quantity of kerosine on them which caught fire. It is also stated that he was not in the house at the time of the occurrence, and that witnesses will be called to prove an alibi. In the meantime he is detained in custody pending an investigation. The deceased was about forty-three years of age and the prisoner fifty-five. At the., inquest to-day Mr Inspector Broham appeared on the part of the police and asked for an adjournment of the enquiry until Saturday next, as he had not had. sufficient time to call the witnesses together. The inquest was therefore adjourned until. Saturday next, the 18th inst., at eleven o'clock.