THE GRATON MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 193, 22 August 1885, Page 5

THE GRATON MURDER.

Confession of the Prisoner.

THIS Coroner's inquiry at Grnfton, New South Walo.x, in the matter of the recent murder resulted in the jury finding a verdict of wilful murder against Mattnow Friako. who was committed on tho Coroner'n warrant to take his trial at the next Circuit Court to bo hold at Grafton in October. Tho prisoner i? now in custody in Grafton gaol. Tho following is tho substances of his confession :—At half past .8 on Thursday last bo was complaining of being c>ld and shivering, and requested to be allowed to have a HtUo brandy. This was given lii:n, and about a quarter of an hour afterwards he said to the constable, "I see you are a Christian, and I want to be a Christian too.1' Ho added, " You neoi not trouble any more." You have got all you nun find. I did it. I killed my m.ata Matron." Tho yoliceraan then toll! him !o wait iill he pit tho writing matoiial.s to note it down. Tho aecr.sedthen continued, "I struck him on the spino of the back as hard as I could with the axo

that you got.'' He hero pointed out on tho policeman's back tho placo whore he struck his victim. "Tho murdered man," ho continued, " was standing over that big stumphole, poking the fire. There was a big fire in it at tho time. The troo had not thon fallen down, but there was a big hole in the stump whore the firo was. Ho was in a stooping position when I camo behind him with that axe. 1 struck him as hard as I could. The blow knocked him into tho tiro. His leg stuck out, and I could not shovo it in. 1 thon shoved op tho leg of hh trousers and chopped his leg ofF; and I threw tho leg away, and his boot fell off. I picked up tho boot and throw it in tho fire, and thon got a long stick and commenced to poke up tho fire and bones." Friske was taken to tho place by the pol'eo, whero ho further explained the occurrence. Ho pointed out where the leg was cut off, and where he had chopped off tho blood-marks. Ho pointed out whero tho leg lay in some ferns, some nino or ten yards off, and explained that after they had gono to tho hotel after tho search ho had watched them and placed it thore, as he was frightoned. Ho said lie nOvor thought to throw away the log whon ho chopped it off. Ho added that tho leg and bones wore thoso of his mato Matson, and ho was wild whenjho coinmittod the act. Ho stated that his mute was doing him wrong by giving him a false cheque. Ho expressed himself as much relieved aftor making his confession. Botli men hud been fivo yoars in the country. Mats-on was about 20 yoars of ago, and tho murdoror is about G7, and has a wife and family at homo, and he has reoontly sent for them to come to Australia.