THE TRAGEDY AT RAMSAY'S BUSH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 2 January 1903, Page 5

THE TRAGEDY AT RAMSAY'S BUSH.

CONFESSION BY THE ACCUSED,

The blackfellow who has confessed to the murder of a little girl at Ramsay's Bush appeared in the dock at the Central Police Coiir£ otj' "26tli December. Under the name of Thomas Moore, 33 years df age, he was charged with feloniously and maliciously murdering , Jennie Irene Smith, at Leichhardt, on December 23rd.

His demeanour was that of a man unconcerned with anything going on in the Court, and he made no remark at any stage of the proceedings.

On the application of Sub-Inspector Roche, the accused was remanded for a week, bail being refused.

The written confession made by the accused is as follows: —

"I make the following statement of my own free will, after having - been cautioned by .Sub-Inspector Roche that whatever I might say may be used against me at my trial. I have already made a verbal statement to the police and Dr. Paton respecting the matter. The dead body of the little girl I saw at the Lewisham Hospital, in the presence of the Sisters and the police, is that" of the little girl I first' saw about nine o'clock, this morning , at Bamsay's Bush. She spoke to me first, and said, "Are you getting bushes for Christmas?" I said, "About the bushes, are you going , io take them home?" She then said, "Will you give me a penny?" I said, "I ain't g-ot any pennies. What do you want a penny for?" She said, "To buy lollies." I then hit her with the stone on the temple. I got the stone on the ground. That is the same stone shown to me by the police. She fell, kicked, and sang' out. She was bleeding from the nose and head. The place where I first knocked- her down is about two yards on the side of a little gully. I got some of her blood on my hands, trousers, and shirt sleeves. Whilst she was lying- on the ground I lifted her clothes and tore some of her underclothing; I then ran away through the bush. "I saw a little boy standing about 40 or 50 yards away before I struck her. - She screamed after I struck her. She was bleeding a lot. It was running down her nose and face. She was dressed in a white dress, with a kind of blue body and white straw hat. The hat was jhown to me by the police. I afterwards went through Hhe bush .and across the creek, where I washed the blood off my trousers, shirt, and hands. I then went over Iron Cove Bridge, and came round through Glebe Island, across Glebe Island Bridge to Pyrmont quarries. I was sitting down there for an hour, and was then accosted by these two men (pointing to Constables Wilson and Sweeney). They asked me, 'Were you at Ashfield this morning?' I said, 'I think so.' They said, 'Did you assault a girt?' I said, T think so.' They said, 'Do you know who we are? We are two police officers. If you run we will shoot you. Come along with us.' I was then taken to the Pyrmont Police Station, and afterwards the Central Police Station. ' "Dr. Paton spoke to me about the assault on the little girl, and I told him in the presence of the police how I first met her. and how I assaulted her. I was afterwards taken by Sub-Inspectors Stanwix and Koehe and Constables Wilson and Sweeney to the Leichhardt Canal. I then took the.officers to the spot where I killed the girl. I saw some bushes on the spot where I killed her. I was afterwards taken to Lewisham Hospital, where I saw the little girl I assaulted and killed. I was also

(shown the bloodstained clothes, and I said, 'Yes, I know , the clothes.' I came out of gaol on the 10th of this month; I have been drinking since, but have had no drink to-day."

OPENING OF THE INQUEST.

An inquest concerning?- the death of Jennie Irene Smith, the victim of the Ramsay's Bush tragedy, was opened at the' Lloyd Hotel, George-street North, but only formal evidence was taken. The black man, Moore, who confessed to the crime, was present in custody, handcuffed between two

police

The jury, witnesses, and the accused were first taken to the Morgue to view the body, and Dr. Jamieson, who had made a post-mortem examination of the body, pointed out the various marks of injury, which, he said, included several fractures of the skull, a broken jaw, numeroμs cuts and bruises about the ears, forehead and face, and bruises on the body. No criminal offence had been committed.

David Smith, the father of the child, .on viewing the body, was greatly distressed. He said the deceased was a particularly strong, healthy, and robust child, 10 years of age. When he left home on Tuesday morning she was in bed, and in the best d'f health. He next saw her at the Lewisham Hospital, and remained with her until she died, shortly after 3 o'clock. He had never seen accused before.

At this stage the coroner adjourned the further hearing of the inquest until 10 a.m. on Tuesday next.