THE TRAGEDY OF DEADMAN'S TERRACE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8597, 26 September 1893, Page 2

THE TRAGEDY OF DEADMAN'S TERRACE.

By Richmond Beetham.

Deadtnan's Terrace was so named in consequence of afouland unnatural murder which took place there about twelve months before the occurrence which I am about to relate to you. A miner had shot his brother and then cut his own throat leaving behind him a confession of the crime. The second tragedy in which I as Coroner took part, was one of the most extraordinary things from a pathological point of view it has ever been my lot to witness. Deadinan's Terrace was situated about 25 miles from my then Head-quarters on theOtago Gold Fields in one of the gorges of a river -which cook its rise' in the mountainous interior of the Province. The.upper portion Of the river was often inaccessible iv the winter months, in consequence of deep snow.

The victim of this tragedy was a young and beautiful Rirl, recently married, and her murci.erer was her husband. He was a miner, toy many years' her senior, and was of a sullen and jealous disposition. They were married much against the wish of the girl's friends, and went to live in a hut on Deadman's terrace. For about twelve months all went well: then the following incidents occurred.

The winter of the year 1865 was an exceptionally severo one. All communication with the upper portion of the river had been suspended for about three week 3, then a heavy thaw set in. Shortly after the thaw commenced two miners brought down to mc as coroner, a report that the body of poor Jenny McDowel had been found at the foofc of a precipice, and that her husband was accused of having caused her death. In fact, he had been seen to throw her over the cliff. The face of the poor woman was uninjured, but her back had been broken. ThQ'mincrs had, atter the expiration of a; week; buried the corpse, and detained the husband in custody till they could communicate with the authorities.

I, with three constables, started at once for the scene of the outrage. When we reached the Terrace, we found that the poor girl's body had been buried about a fortnfght. The accused was brought before mc and remanded until the following day. He exhibited a sullen and morose demeanour, and appeared to ba violently incensed against those persons who had detained him in custody; ho expressed no grief or sorrow-for the death of his wife, being apparently only concerned on account of his own dreadful position. Had I possessed the experience which time has since given mc in these matters, I should have known that the terrible strain of the past three weeks had unhinged hja mental balance. Enquiries which were at once set on foot showed beyond the possibility ol a doubt that in a sudden access of jealous fury, he had deliberately killed his wife. A jury was at once summoned, and an order given for the exhumation of the body. And here, in order that yon may follow the ghastly details of this awful tragedy to if.s conclusion, I must endeavour to explain to you in as few words as possible the extraordinary and startling effects of what I may term iucipient decomposition on the human body (it is rarely observed except in cases of violent death and there is nothing at all revolting in its character) but ifc is very strange and as I have said very startling. I havo often seen it, and ife has never failed to impress mc very powerfully. Some considerable time affcer death— the exact period depending of course upon circumstances—the first signs of decomposition appear. The features of the corpse which at death, and for some time afterwards are P*le* rigid and waxen, assume a rosy and lifelike tint; the eyes and lips are slightly parted, and it ie almost impossible to believe that you are in the presence of death. You must bear this in mind in order to understand the terrible consequences which resulted from the exhumation of this poor girl's bodj.

Soon after daylight the jury were impannelled (thewitnessesand tbe accused being present) and the rude shell containing all that was mortal of poor Jenny McDowel lay on the snow-covered ground. On the exposure of the body to the air, the pathological appearances I have described were present in their most vivid form. Strong rough miners started back shudderingly from the coffin ; the face of the suffused with a warm roseate flush, was apparently that of a living breathing wom*n, the small hands crossed on the breast were lifelike in colour, and even tbe finger nails were rosy hued. But if this strange and aeemingly unnatural sight so powerfully affected those who were to some extent uninterested beholdere, its effect upon the hunband and murderer of the dead woirfaii was appalling in the extreme; he started back with staring eyes and clenched hands, and exclaimed, "She's alive I She's alive I She's not dead, and I thought I killed her. Oh Jenny, Jenny, forgive mc." Then with a wild unearthly cry, he threw himself upon the dead body of his murdered wife. And when they raised him he was dead, ""• A Yarn told to the Ravage Club, Chrietchurch, September ith, 1893.