THE WAIKAWA MURDER.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 220, 27 September 1878, Page 6

THE WAIKAWA MURDER.

—+ At the inquest held at Fortrose on Friday before Mr M'Culloch, the doctor who made the post mortem examination deposed that the throat had two cuts, one. of them severing all the blood-vessels and going three-quarters through the windpipe. The edges of the wound were irregular, but sharply defined. The "smaller wound was about two inches long, merely, severing the skin and a few muscular fibres. There was a woxind on' the righthand, about three - quarters of ' ah inch long, and one about ah inch and a quarter long on the. left-hand. On the -left foot there was a slight wound over the second toe. He found no- bruises on the body--except four! abrasions on, the neck. Hedid not think the wounds could have been . selfrinflicted, from their, direction. -..• • -, <f--Inspector Fox deposed that on Wednes-r day night, the 18th instant, at 10.40.-, he; |

arrested the prisoner, James Welsh, in the Waikawa Bush, about ..three-quarters of a mile beyond M'Rae's Station: Witness was in uniform, and ..told him who he was. He cautioned him, and then charged him . with .the murder, bfi. his. wife on the previous Sunday at Mr M-'Rae's house 1 , Waikawa. , Welsh replied slowly and --.deliberately,"" Yes." He did not deny 'the charge. Prisoner while being searched, said, " I've, got.no money; she took all* my money and then turned round on me •; she spent it in one thing and another, and I don't know where it has gone to." He also said that he was glad they had .found him in the bii^h, ahd that it was a shame to have kept him" in it. Witness could also see that his 'hands were well washed. There was blood on his right tefnple, and scratches and blood oil his nose, near his. eye. Witness found blood - stains also on his clothes and on his hat. In the rigln)*' hahd vest pocket, out of which he.-had taken the pocket-knife produced, witness found distinct , blood marks, On opening the blade of the pocket-knife he could clearly see marks of blood on the inside of the handle. . The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that James Welsh, on the 15th September, 1878, at Waikawa, wilfully murdered his wife, Louisa Richardson, with malice aforethought, and that after he committed the murder he " fled from the same." The room in which the murder 'took place presented sigii3 of a fearful struggle. Pools of blood were everywhere, in which were handfuls' .of the man's beard. The woman's body was bruised as from kicking or. struggling, and was naked from the middle downwards. Mrs Welsh was interred at Foi'tro'se on Saturday.