ARMIDALE MURDER MYSTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 299, 15 December 1908, Page 5

ARMIDALE MURDER MYSTERY.

FELLOW-SERVANT ARRESTED. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. SYDNEY, December 14. 1 The girl O'Leary, a waitress, who slept in the room with Miss Kelly, waitress | at the Central Hotel, Armidale, who was found dead in bed on Sunday morning ' with her throat cut from ear to ear, has 1 been arrested on suspicion. At the inquest to-day the proprietor ' of the Central Hotel deposed that ' O'Leary came to his room early in the morning and reported that Miss Kelly had burst a blood vessel. He went to the room and found her lying with her throat cut. O'Leary afterwards told the story of the man escaping through the window. Meanwhile, O'Leary had changed her clothes in witness' room, and the police discovered partially-burned portions of clothing, apparently bloodstained, under the copper. Witness was unaware that there had been a fire there since Saturday. As far as he knew, deceased and Miss O'Leary were on good i terms. Dr. Scott deposed to finding blood on ■ Miss O'Leary's petticoat, underclothing, and fingers. She accounted for this by saying that she had sat by the bed holding the dying girl. A big three-bladed pocket-knife was also produced. One of the blades had blood marks. Dr. Scott said the blood found on O'Leary's clothes was not where it should have been if she had been holding Miss Kelly. Some portions of O'Leary's clothes were missing. The murdered girl's sweetheart de- j posed to giving her an engagement ring on Saturday night. He left her at 11 o'clock all right. The inquest was adjourned till Friday.