MURDER CASE IN TASMANIA.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4281, 19 April 1879, Page 3

MURDER CASE IN TASMANIA.

What is described as a mis-arriago of justice by the Hobart Town " Mercury," occurred at the last criminal sittings of the Tasmanian Supreme Court, in connection with the Fort Esporance murder. Thomaa Chalk, a laborer at Port Eaperance, was accused or. the wilful murder of an eld man named James Sparks, at that place, on the 25th December last. The evidence showed most clearly thut, after a quarrel between the men, or an attaok by Chalk npon Sparks—as Chalk was eeen holding the old man on the ground and striking him violently on the head— Sparks wont on his way alone. . AfUr a few minute) Chalk was again et-en. to follow hia victim down the road: and in the morning the aged man's corpse was found by the side of the thoroughfare, the face battered in, and fewfully muuglrd, and with marks upon the windpipe, whioh showed death had ultimately been the result of strangulation. Some of Chalk's red hairs wero found clenched in the dead man's hand, and others were found strewed on the open vest and breast of the corpee.while a huge stake, with Whioh the blows had, from the evidence, clear y boen struck, was covered with grey hair. So clear was the circumstantial evivence that the counsel for dofenoe admitted on the prisoner's behalf (a> the prisoner himeelf admitted to a constable when he was arrested) that he was tho perpetrator of the injuries and the cause of tho violent death, but that it wes a drunken quarrel. The Chief Justice, in summing tip, directed the jury that tho person who caueedtho death, whoever he might be, whb guilty of wilful murder, and not of manslaughter; for no provocation, suoh as would reduce the charge to the latter, could warrant suoh injuries had been isflicted. The jury, however,after half-an-hour's consideration, returmd to Court wi' b. a verdict of not guilty, and" Here being no other charge against the prisoner, how&i released from custody. The verdict created tk> utmost astonishment.