MURDER BY A JEALOUS HUSBAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 247, 20 October 1886, Page 5

MURDER BY A JEALOUS HUSBAND.

A tragedy took placo sorao time ago at Daly lliver in Northern Torritory. On August 31st, Wright Woodward Heath, who has just been sentenced to ton years' imprisonment, had been on tho Daly Hivor plantation, of which ho was manager for sotno timo previous to that date. He was quite lamo and was confined to the house. His suspicions had been aroused with reeard to his wife's relations with M'Kinnon, who acted as overseer, and upon the morning of the date givon, lie extracted from her a full confession. After hearing this confession, Heath sont his littlo boy to McKinnon to tell him hia clothes nnd bolonginga would bo put on board the Sampan and that he must leave the place at once. Shortly afterwards Heath looked out of tho house and caw M'Kinnon running toward it. Heath took bis double barrelled gun and cried out to his wifo, "Eliza, tho man is actually rushing mo in my own houso. If I don't kill him he will cortainly kill mo. I nra a cripple and I dare not lot him tacklo mo in the houso." Tho woman scrcamod and tried to hold Hoath back, but when M'Kinnon was within fifteen yards of the house Hoath shouted to him to halt, M'Kinnon immediately put his hand to his sido, and tho managor, bolioving that he was about to draw his rovolvor, shot him in tho left arm intending to disable him. M'Kinnon raised his right arm rtnd nished forward. Heath then discharged the other barrel. Tho chnrgo passed through M'Kinnon's head, and ho dropped doad upon the threshold. A movement is on foot to socure a commutation of tho sontenco on Hoath.