ARMIDALE MURDER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 142, 15 December 1908, Page 7

ARMIDALE MURDER.

ARREST OF THE GIRL O'LEARY. SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright SYDNEY, 14th December. The girl O'Leary, fellow servant and bedroom mate of the victim, has been arrested on suspicion of having committed the mysterious murder reported yesterday from Armidale, a town on the [ main northern railway, 313 miles north of Sydney. No motive has been discovered for 'the deed. I Miss Kelly, the victim, had only been employed in the Central Hotel for a few weeks. An engagement ring received from her sweetheart the previous night was found under her pillow. The proprietress ol tho hotel deposed at the inquest that O'Leary came to her room early yesterday morning and reported that Miss Kellv had burst a blood vessel. Witness went to the room and found deceased with her throat cut. O'Leary afterwards told the story about a man escaping by a window. In the meantime O'Leary had changed her clothes in witness's room. The police discovered' partially burned portions of clothing, apparently blood-stained, under the copper. Witness was not a ware that there had been a fire there since Saturday. As far as she- knew, Miss Kelly and the girl O'Leary were 'on good terms. Dr. Scott deposed to finding blood on O'Loary's potticoat, underclothing, and fingers. She accounted for this by saying she had sat by the bed holding tho dying girl. A big three-bladed pocket knife was also produced, one of the blades being marked by blood. Dr. Scott said tho blood stains on O'Leary's clothes were not where they should have been if she was holding Kelly. Some portions of O'Leary's clothes are missing. The deceased's sweetheart deposed to giving her an engagement ring on Saturday night, lie left her at 11 o'clock alt right. Tho inquest was adjourned till Friday. O'Leary's statemeri as first reported was that she was a^yaKened at an early hour in the- morning by a gurgling sound. Looking across the room at a bed which a waitress named Hannah Kelly was occupying, she saw a man bending over Miss Kelly, and using a knife. Tho mail rushed to a window and escaped. Miss Kelly was dead, her throat being out from ear to car.