Brutal Wife Murder in Hobart.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 217, 15 September 1886, Page 6

Brutal Wife Murder in Hobart.

The following account from the "Hobort Mercury" of tho let inst. furnishes tho details of thoterribio wife murder in Hobart recently reported :—

Ono of the moat brutal murdora that havo ovor taken placo in ifobart occurrotl yesterday. About half-past ."> p.m. it wue reported at the police station that a man named Williim Oakoe, aged (iO, had murdered hie wife, Margaret Oakoe, aged 55, by beating in hor ekull with an iron bar. At tho time named, Ralph Oakee, agoi 20, went to tho polico station and roported to Sub inspector Connors that upon returning homo about 5 p in. hit had found his mother lying on bed a with her head literally battered to atoms. From the yoijng man's etatomont, it appoara that upon hi* return homo at tho hour etatod ho went into hie parents' bedroom, and was fhero horrifiod by tho eight of hie mother lying on the bed, with hor clothing and the bedclotboa covered in blood, which had escaped from a frightful wound on the left eido of hor head, flis father was sitting on tho floor beside tho bed in a helpless etato of intoxication, muttering unintelligible words to himself, and calling out, "Dear Jennie, come to mo." When young Oakes loft (he house at two p m , his mother, ho cays, appeared to bo all right, except that she had been drinking, but ho oxpoctod that she would get over tho effects of this in an hour or two, and did not feel any cause for alarm. Dotectivo Dolaney and Superintendent Peddor proceeded to the spot. Upon searching tho house Detective Delanoy found an iron bar under the bed, one epd of which was covered with blood, and had a quantity of grey hair adhering to it. The bar was about IS inches long, and an inch thick, shaped something like a quarryman'a gad, being pointed at one end, and it is supposed to havo been used by the ill-fated woman for tethering a goat to. It was some considerable weight, and a most formidable weapon for the deadly purpose to which it has too plainly been applied. It was lying under the bed, no attempt having been made to further conceal it. From indications the iron bar had evidently been literally juried by the force ot heavy blows in the skull of the victim several times, before her murderous assailant woe satiated with bin fieudish work. Dr. Giblin was sent for, and upon his arrival he found that tho unfortunate woman had been dead for come time. Tho left eide of tho head bad been beaten to pieces, a gaping wound, into which several fingers could be thrust, bearing evidence of the murderous attack. The skull was also fractured all over, several violent blows having evidently been dealt. The murder appears to have been committed whilst the woman was lying upon her back on the bed, for there were no eigne of blood anywhere except upon the woman's clothes and the drapery of the bed, which were all soaked with blood. No screams or cries for help were heard by the neighbours, and it seems probable that tbo woman was lying on thebed still under the influence of liquor when her assailant, impelled by sudden frenzy, attacked her, and the was stunned before she had any knowledge of his murderous intentions. Had any cry escaped, it must have been heard, 33 the locality is very thickly populated. Her husband, William Oakes, who is charged with the foul deed, was taken to the lockup by Detective Delaney. He mado no remark, beyond saj - ing thas " He would tell a|l about it for half a pint of beor." He wae stupidly drunk, and did not appear to understand tho enormity of the charge made against him. He followed the oocupation of a hawker of fruit and vegetaoles, and is very well known all over tho town, He ban always been regarded by his neighbours as a quiet inoffensive man, and though addicted to drink, scarcely comes under the category of an habitual drunkard. What fends an air of mystery to this fearful tragedy is the faot that while under the influence of drink the man and wife were ac a rule very affectionate towards each other, more so, perhaps, than at any other time. Up to the present no direct clue hag been obtained to show that the husband was the actual perpetrator of the deed, but the suspicions and eurrouDding circumttanees are po strong that there seems little doubt. When put on his feet after being arrested, he was too intoxicated to stand, and had ,to be taken into the police station in a cab, where, in the'cclls, he was up till a late hour last night raving in an idiotic fashion.