CHARGE OF MURDER

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 87, 12 April 1923, Page 7

CHARGE OF MURDER

LANDLADY AND BOARDER " ANOTHER MELBOURNE CASE. (UNIKD PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIRIOHI.) (Received . 12th April, noon.) MELBOURNE, This Day. David Kelly, alias O'Keefe, was committed for trial on a charge of murdering Mrs. Overall at Millgrove, near Warburton, in June last year. The woman disappeared suddenly, and inquiries led to the arrest .of Kelly, who, while under detention, made a confession, which the police produced in evidence. According to this, Kelly, who was boarding -with Overall, arranged to pay her £2 a week for life as the value of her property. Later, the woman fell ill, and Kelly arranged to send her to hospital. Before this could be done, she died, and Kelly, according to his confession, thereupon became frightened and burned the body in a paddock and threw the ashes into the River Yarrs. He informed inquirers that he had bought the property for £1000, and that the woman had gone away, he did not know where.

When first interrograted he told the police that he had got no receipts for the purchase.' Later he produced two for £500 each, 'signed Overall, but he subsequently stated that he had forged Overall's signature. The police found pieces of charred bones in the river, and also traces where the body had allegedly been burned.

The police, in further evidence, stated that Kelly, under the name of O'Keefe, had lived with a woman, Mary M'Grath, in the Bacchus Marsh district prior to boarding with Mrs. Overall. M'Grath suddenly disappeared, and had not since been heard of. When questioned regarding M'Grath, Kelly said: "You don't want to rake that up against me now."