EVISON'S CONFESSION.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 114, 15 May 1895, Page 2

EVISON' S CONFESSION.

• THE TORTURE 3OF CONSCIENCE. |Bt Tblegba ph.— Press Association.] Auckland, 14tb May. The man Samuel tfvison. who has given himself up to tho police and confessed that he causei the death of a youne woman at Nottingham, England, in 1882, arrived by train this afternoon from Hamilton, under the charge of Constable Forbes. On arrival at Newmarket station he was taken up to Mount Eden Gaol, where he is lodged pending his examination before the Magistrate next week. Evison is 34 years of age, and is a vory quiet and reserved man, of medium height, with a strong figure, and of dark complexion. He has dark hair and moustache, with several days' growth of beard on his oheeks and chin. Ho is a carpenter, and on coming to Hamilton ho first worked for Mr. James Frear, with whom he resided for some lime, afterwards living with Mrs. Moore at nor boarding-house in Victoriastreet. On leaving Frear, Evison was employed by the late D. Elliott until tho latter's death, since which time he has beon employed on various jobs in the neighbourhood. He was spoken of as a very good workman. Although residing in Hamilton for over two years, Evison did not make many friends — in fact, hid appearanoe was always that of the greatest reserve, amounting almost to moroseness. Questioned as to the motive which induced him to confess his cime, Evison says that for tbe last 13 years ho hid suffered the pangs of a guilt-stricken conscience. "I have not," he said, when questioned by the oonstable, " been able to get rid of the feeling that I was the girl's murderer. I have been driven nearly mad by it, and have several times felt inolined to go and commit suioide. I have never been happy since I did it, and I thought that tbo only reßt I could get or the only way of making my mind easier wonld be to confess it all." Kvieon, it appears, went up to Constable Forbes in the street at Hamilton on Sunday morning and said to him quite oalmly, " I want you to look me up " Forbes asked the man to oome into the middle of the street, as there were a number of persons olose by, and tbon asked Kvison why he wanted to be locked up. " I caused tbe death of a girl in England in 1882." The constable took tho man to the police station, and subsequently took down his statement. It seems that Evison had beon suffering remorae for bis self-oonfessed crime for many years. Ho was on several occasions seen by Hamilton residents crying, as if in some trouble, and according to hiß own statement he could get no rest. It is not thought that he i 3 of unsound mind. At any rate the oonstable who arrested him considers him quite sane.