SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 25 April 1891, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

A WOMAN BRUTALLY MURDERED.

Quite a sensation was occasioned in Sydney one afternoon last week when it becamo known thab an elderly woman named Catherine Dalton had been found in a house known as No. 1 Foveaux-street, Surry Hills, under circumstances that pointed _ to a murder of the mosb brutal description. The discovery was made at about halfpast 12 o'clock by a Mrs Arthur, who resided in the same house with the deceased. The former, upon going downstairs, was Jiorrified to ccc the mutilated body of "her landlady lying upon the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. As soon as she recovered from the partial stupor which the ■diicovery of the crime occasioned she apprised the neighbours, who in turn ■quickly informed the police. Constable was in the vicinity, and upon receipt of the intelligence inspected the premises. Hβ found the rooms almost denuded of furniture, and the kitchen at the rear where the murder was committed presented an untidy appearance. There were no visible marks of any struggle having taken place, and the assumption ia that the .

, E VICTIM WAS STRUCK DOWN Wbilst her back was towards the assassin. This supposition is strengthened by the fact that nono of the residents appear to have heard any screams or to have noticed anything unusual. That a terrible crime such as this could be perpetrated in the very centre of life and activity, and within a stone's throw of Belmore Park, is only possible upon the theory that tho victim •was treacherously clubbed from tho rear, and thus prevented from calling for assistance. A diligent search in the yard attached to the house resulted in the finding of an iron cattle-brand bearing the letters MD conjoined. The .brand was hanging from a nail in the wall -OTer the bath, and besides being besmeared with blood, some human hair was adhering to it. Tho police took charge of the implement with which the cruel deed had apparently been committed, and the body of tho deceased was conveyed to tho South Sydney morgue. The skull of tho woman had been COMPLETELY SMASHED, and there wore two gaping wounds on the left cheek and another behind the car. The jaw bone was fractured in several places, and the brain substance was exuding from the skull. Traces of Wood were vieible leading from the outer kitchen door into the yard. Mrs Arthur, who wa» the first to make tho discovery of the brutal crime, states' that she heard the deceased end her husband quarrelling shortly after 9 a.m. yesterday. Subsequently she observed the latter leave the house and walk hurriedly down Foveaux-street. Hβ appeared ercited. but his vagaries being well Known no importance was attached to his strange conduct?. From whab can be gathered the deceased, who is slightly over 50 years of age did not live very happily with her husband. The latter, the police aver, is very idle, and spends most of his time sitting in the public parks. His wife was constantly remonstrating with him upon i HIS WORTHLESS HABITS, ac the entire burden of providing food and shelter fell upon her. All her remonstrances appear to have been in vain, and to meet the necessary demands made upon lier she had to take in boarders. The husband has nob been seen since the discovery of the murder,, and the police are. on the alert for hisarrest, asthewholeof thecircum■tances poinfc towards him as being the probable perpetrator of the deed. He is about %0 years of age, rather tall, dark complexion, clean shaved, and of eccentric fcabite. The police know him so well, that fee cannot elude their search for long, bub they are afraid that he may attempb to destroy himself. It is asserted that he was originally possessed of means, bub had meb ■with reverses, which had partially unhinged his mind.