A CHARGE OF MURDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 5

A CHARGE OF MURDER.

THE HENDERSON AFFAIR. TWO FHESn WITNESSES. ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR TRIAL The chnrgo of murder preferred against Alice iiirnh Williamson, in connection with the liitrninpc sensation nt Henderson on July i;t)i, was continued before -Vr. J.\ v. Frnsier, S.M., nt the Auckland Police Court yesterday afternoon. Limbcrt William V.indolaer.. who goca by the more common name of "Billy Brown," described the part he took in providing the two women with liquor, find the wordy quarrel that occurred beLiveen the accused and deceased.. Witness found deceased on her own' eiik of a creek running through a. ecetion dividing the two housca. She then cried out: "Billy, I'm burning to death!" He ran niraj- for assistance. Questioned hy Mr. Lundon, the v/'itijcss Raid the two women appeared to be on friendly terms early in the day. He rlid not clearly remember all his movein mt.3. Mr. Lundon: May it not he possible that you returned 'from Mrs. Williamson's to Mr 3, Ahlgrcn's house, there indulged in more liquor, nn ( . ivhile you ; worn in a. drunken sleep the clothes of this unfortunate woman caaght alight from the Etc in the kitchen, and she ran | outside to roll on the grasaT The witneca, somewhat dull in comprehension, did not Trply, nnrl, further pressed, admitted it was possible that he fell asleep somewhere and at some time after Mrs, Abigrcn left her neighbour's. There wns no fire at Mrs. WilNamaon'a house, and, to far as he caw, slie wa3 not smoking nor carrying mutches in her hi '. MEDICAL EVIDENCE. From the uniform severity of the burns all round the horly, Dr. Rnssiter, "ho vinn cnllcd in boforeremoval to the Hospital, gave it as his opiniou that the woman had heen in an upright position mostly while the clothes were alight. Questioned by -Mr. Lundon, the doctor Enid the character of the burns suggested tlint the clothes had burned quickly, and the body not long in contact with the fire. Wlinn lie Han- the woman she Will suffering from the combined ciTccU of shock and alcnliol, and the two Mould influence her judgment, making it unreliable. Dr. Grant gave evidence ns to the injuries sustained, but declined to esprcM an opinion as to the mnnncr in which the clothe* hud Inirned. The- postmortem showed that deceased was suffering from alcoholic disease. A NEIGHBOUR'S OBSERVATIONS. Thomas Wilson, nn engineer, resident going from [he railway station to Williamson'.'; house on July 17th, knock at the door, ami, petting no response, moved on in the direction of AhJgren'i house. Passing the locality about 3 o'clock everything appeared to bo silent in the two cottages, but again passin" half-an-hov.r later saw Brown emerge from Williamson's, walk aero>s the paddock towards Ahlgren's, stop near the creek, an;! speak to a woman, who, from where -witness was standing, appeared to bo a Maori and in a crouching position, and then go away in the direction of the railway station. It was not then apparent to witness that tho woir.au was Mrs. Alilgren, and thnt sho was suffering from severe burning, Later, he heard of the occurrence, and wont to the house to rentier what assistance ho could. THE NEW EVIDENCE. An elderly woman, MthJ Edith Ada Churton, a near neighbour of deceased, went to thr hcni£n on the evening of the tragedy to help in dressing the "wounds of lire. Alllgren. On her way homo she saw some burnt clothing on the grass, another bit nt the back of Mrs. Williamson's house, and a third picco nearly agiinst a projecting chimney at accused's chanty, In passing, witness cpoko to accused, who was not sober, and was making use of bad language. The Chipf-Dctcctive: .What conversation took place between you? Witness: I said: "That poor -woman is nearly burned to death, and I don't think c'hc'll live to see her husband again." She. replied: "It serves her d well right." Sho also said ahe had ihrov.'n a bucket of water over Mrs, AHgTon. In the course of further evidence, the witness said quarrels were frequent between the two women. On one occasion, when accused mine to her place to sell egg», ehc said that sho had just had a terriHc quarrel wil'n "Wad; JJeB," aildiiif that ii "thi ever comes to my place again 1 -will cither burn or acald her." The trouble ni due to a complaint by Mrs. Ahlgren that her husband was visiting Mrs. Williamson. Mr. Lundon: Is it ii fact that you arc not to bo relied up™. Your Sutband says you arc not "all there," and is prepared to swear it. Witness: lam no lighter than you are. Thu witness, more volnblo than coherent, denied further that she was lacking in mental equipment; and, anyway, did not believe her husband, to whom Bho was married M yean; ago, would say such a thing about her. The three pieces of burnt material were of dark colour. She was too .sliockqd to pick up any of them, and did not mention what she lAW to anyone tacann she was not in the habit of saying more than slie was naked ahout. Xo trace of the burnt clothing -was discovered in a subsequent ncarch Bin? made with a detective. It was about 5.30 p.m., and getting dark, when she was making her way home on the day of the burning. Mr. Lundon: 'Why did you keep tho conversation with accused to yourself: WitDMI Oh, I WM too shocked. UKS. WILUAMBOH COMMITTED. The cane wae continued before Mr F. V. Fnser, H.M., at the Police Court this morning, w).en evidence was given by Oorstahlo McGlonc and Detective Sweeney on the lines of their evidence at the inquest. Mr Lundon (fnr nccuncd) Mtld that his WiirAhip had to be uatir.ficd llut the ctbh WM nno -on wtdoh he coimidercd the jury would conviot, before he aliould oend it on to the Supreme Court. Ifis Woralilp remarked thit that was not the poeition. He had to be i.rtiefied tlia-t there wnfl a. prima <fan:ftcase to connect accused willi the crime. The evidence followed largely nn the lines of the evidence given at the inqucut, and had there been nothing more thin that he would probably not have considered {he case a prima fjcic one. But there tflß, in atlditina to the evidence Riven st the inquest, the evidence of Mr* Cliurtnn. He could not say !iow a jury would view her evidence. If they accepted it M correct, it mfabt add considerably to the chain of evidence agsinat occnccd. Under thoso circumstances, ho thought ho visa not justified in d-timiaeing the "use. JuMOMd rfiicrvcd her defence, and w.in :cmmittcd to ;'iq Supremo Court lor trill.