MURDER OF A BLIND MAN.

Evening Star, Issue 3653, 6 November 1874, Page 3

MURDER OF A BLIND MAN.

The Bathurst; ‘ Free Press ’ of Oct. 14, says : —Nearly every resident in Bathurst must have noticed during the past ‘hree years the two old men—one blind, and the other a cripple—who daily traversed the streets of Bathurst. They lived together in a hut on the flat near the river, and seemed to get along very comfortably until of late, when sounds of quarrelling were occasional!} heard proceeding from their dwelling. On last Saturday morning, the cripple who is known by the name of “ Yorkey ” —went to the court-house, and informed Senior-Sergeant Waters that old blind Joe, his mate, had been murdered. The sergeant at once proceeded to the old man’s dwelling, and found the blind man lying on the floor of the bedroom on his back, with his face and clothes covered with blood. A closer inspection resulted in the discovery that his forehead had been battered in with some heavy blunt instrument, and as a large-sized morticing axe lay at his feet it is supposed that that was the weapon which had caused the injuries. Poor Joe was still alive, but unconscious, when the sergeant entered the hut, and after considerable trouble he was partially restored to consciousness, and was able to tell the sergeant that Yorkey had assaulted him. He became again unconscious, however, almost immediately, and in that state was removed to the hospital, where, notwithstanding the efforts put forth by the medical officers to restore him, he died early on the following day. Y orkey was* arrested and charged with the crime, hut he continues emphatically to deny his guilt. An inquest on the body was commenced on Monday, but after three or four witnesses had been examined, it was adjourned until this day in Older that the police might have time to procure additional evidence. Yorkey is a very feeble old man, and almost an imbecile, but he seems to fell his position very acutely.