SETTING FIRE TO A WIFE.

Evening Star, Issue 5013, 28 March 1879, Page 1

SETTING FIRE TO A WIFE.

- A n inquest on the"bqdy.pf .SarahrMagujrfl. the,victim, of the, Prince st^ptj;'tf^gedy,' -fa's | jpominenced on .Wednesday morning, -. inr Jhe boardroom of 'the,: Sydney concluded • yesterday -reveningj too Thomas Maguire, the husband "of-the •deceas'ediiwas present in the.; custody' of the'poli<je,onnd*r of,' Senior-constable Dignan stated that between 3 and 4 o'clock on the SaMJaW March I,.he.went .to'NbfOrince M '&isk^sWA-.WOW todin.gpn^fbhe Mer hands r ahd,.a,nns;; ; .were ifffaeJA V-w^S* jPttrns.tand-she complained of .mo'reiburnsoon fVf r ? ack and le S s - Tfl ere flour,hn the burns on her hands. Witness asked the woman twice," ; in.the : presence - of burns, and she replied) pointing to Maguire, "•'.He can "tell" you all ~ about~it?~ l^J. -riess then questioned Msiguire'as thing that they had,, had. "ilixpfy; ind. that afterwards'his ,wife gotjiiitb thp .'katchenTfiliQplace andiput, her liead Acid shoullders up t&a chrmneyvand whilej there, hw.*frei%qaught .fire, a (Witness went intowJtAtfoiatdien.rand

<v .' s ~ T ?! (i • /■>. ,i — looked at the fireplace,but there was no Are ia it, only *• few perfectly, cold add half-burnt pieces of wood; i-Thefe were some' pieces of burnt paper in front of the hearthy and a quantity,* of ..women's apparefc'.'was strewn aftojrt.the floor-of the room/all; of ifr more or less burnt. 1 / ■ : -•••.-•( t'-jiiu,; The dying,'deposition .of; the. deceased Sarah Maguirej was/put in as-eyidence, abd; was to the.foflqwipg, effect :*-'' I do;not 1&-, lieve myself, to be. dying. I great deal of jfatayfchdjam:very ill.through frjghti •Prisoner; (Thomas > Maguire;) is. my: husband j • and we t reside-fct-No. 9,'Prince'atreetl' L ; 'had a light'frpcit : on this morning March l-)','.aud''l.and prisoner qnarrelled; ahd r I put my'head up the, chimney becauß,e r Ithought'priaoner was going to; hit mei '•There" was a fire ; iri '.;the'.'fireplacej and caught |r : e and-blazed up'.' . 'j screamed ouii.j and ran into .the yard,;and .my.husbandgoi', a blanket and put it round, me. -So then; put some;salad' oil':ahd flour on the burns.;] A woman"ordered me to put. some kerosene :i on, and'l'did'Bo'.'- Myhasband was'in a'dif-~ ferent when'' V { 'caught -fire r - at thekitchen .Wo' barrelled- iii the' kiiehen,'.and he, Went away from me. I have nSt'told anyone prisoner s.4t fire' to me. The burning was..an. acciderit. I saw thejr fire wh.on I' r got intiTthe, ,fireplape, • but I stood on the hob, thinkingrr: would nqt;get ( jfcurnt v <'l.ran into, th,e yard when I (jaught£rp. ; -.;As a rule'l ! am on'good term 3 vvith prisoner, but ; we quarrel^occa-. aionallyi! -I had nO drink yesterday (February r -Whett:prisoher left the kitchen I thought he-Was Agoing to get somethirig.tostrike 1 put my head up' the 1 chimney ;1 b'h-S.re retunied. , : years, of age, dfiposed'' that he was the son of the deceased and,' Thomas Maguire, the man before the Court,' and resided with them at. No. 9 Prince Btreet. On the sleeping in the yard with his' mo'the'rt"'his father having put them outlof the house about 10 o'clock'.oit->Friday night::>-Aboutj2: o'clock pn Saturday morning witness's father awoke hfm by hitting him on the side otthe head. %t-1W : Water'' Police Court' witness had said that his father had- kickedhimy'but this wa¥a lttistake.'c When his father struck; witnep he told him to go inside, andwitnesa W?nt into the house aud upstairs, leaving hisfather and m th'S'Mfehen. Shortly afterwards he. heard his mother cry out "Oh! Tom, don't hit me," and then his father-' called out to' him to oome dpwiLand get ajjght: "He went downstairs and Went into the front room, where there was X.9&ndle;Vwhich:he lighted 'an'd handea^tp..his fatheiy who'w.^lked'into the kitchen, carrying the 'lighted 'candid : in : his' hand.* Witness saw ; his' father 1 the; lighted candle on the table, an'dhe : (Vithes3) went upstairs again:' A : few minutes after-a wardsj his father called put-to-;'him; and on into the kitbhe'n'again'he' saw his ! father'a'hd-mother' standing 'toefortf the fireplace. Maguire hatrfnier in his"'hand, shortly after witQßss came into the r6om'he~tM:aguire) struck-the-deceased-on the right slioulder. ■'. A secdna."'.b'lSw'followed, but this the deceased She then v to. avoid further blowß, got into the empty firepla'ce,. and put her;head ; i aWßhoul- f ders up the chimney. Maguire ■said':'to"Wit-- • ness, ,y I!ll soon take-her outof thaW-go and. fetch'me" a pie.ee of' paper. f can't : "see J .any... /about,'*.' and walkgdj, into . the • j'front" ; ' room/ ..,. Maguire' followed him, and, pointing to a'piece'of.; paper on the floor, said:.:'.', Are you blind"?' look i there.." --Witness ihanded Mm. paper,'andMaguire-took .itinto'.ljhe kitchen where the deceased was 'still-sUndingiin 'the fireplace. Maguire t>vial;ed T .up..the piece of paper, and lighting it in' the to the lifted'np ;hrs' wife's Jdress;'' ahd deliße'ra'tely 'set' fire it' witti' $ie r ' lighted piece of paper. Witness was 'cjuiteI*Certain 1 *Certain of this. He was in the,.ro"om when it took place* and/,-saw t[ it,:aJl. Histmctjjivr ;Tjje -de,-:: ceasfedihadjon; a'dress ; of : light rand" it blazedup assoon aa'Maguire.'hadjpufc the piece • of- hghted paper to. it. v.Wheini the deceased's clothes blazed -up she came out of the chimney;''.and •rus'hed in : t»-i shrieking " Murder ! ptft "me out, put me out ( !" r/ Maguire.told wMess to,get a,JDucket of it tiiq," deceased,-. Who was' in a'"blazed' He then went to get another bucket,' and in coming_ba.ck_with.it foinid.hii3.fatherjvvrappiug the deceased.in : a rblanket,-.-The deceased said' ''Tom^,,you , veAd'6ne it'this time." Maguire said, '"No I never, you done it yourselfv?'l'and the deceased repeated several times... !-','!_ r ou' done it." W T Hen Maguire had put out the flames he {'assisted ' his .wife indoors;'.' About a quarter of. an.hour afterwards ' the police came. Witness" was.-' sure : Sis ."mother was-,, sober;.that morning,. ,but. Uj( .djd ..not know whether his father was drunfepr,sober. He brought his father -two gills of rum the even.ngJbfifbre. Witness-could swear thatthe'■ dress "did not Jcatch fife' through-a'pie'ce of paper being thrown into' the fireplace after Maguire had'litfhig;pipewith it, but f i.fc .was deliberately set.alight to Vy^&fiN-' .... P l f : ul'tswear''t'here.Vakn6 r firo 1 in the hrepl&ce the it. After the police had "gone away that inking,wjtne3s,'.B. father not.to tellr the truth, adding, " You te'll them;- if .they. ask y*u, thatydiirwefe ihbed ; and say that I called Jyoii down to" get a bucket of water to-put her-out, and tell -them that you got a bucket of water, and the; blankets and put them round.her.''k. r After the second visit of the police Mscgttire said to witness "You tell »-lie;'-%u* ( -T-will right." lft the~p v aper._ at, the candle i wftnessTknew wha's ir hc was gbinAo do w\b\s lfc i.,^ d ,'Wf w ,tltat ( .. t fro.m 'his" father "saying "TuVoou take her but'of tliat.,",';' Wit'nesl gave him the paper, believing, that';.'he'.was Tj going to set ~fire to.his mother with it. Maguire;a7id-thedeeeas,ed wfire in thejiabit of quarrelling. :. Witness ;riev_r took.jhis mother's part in these quarrels.; The quarrals:were generally about the drunken habits °t, ■ < ; il ?.. f df t; ea,sed ) who" was .given to intemperance..'.,. _ ' .V, ' /' ■~' :: r ■ '' ■.■'■ •■.". ! ' Dr Kifijiiard ; ,^tewi', j residHn.t medical cfficeV of the Sydney Infirmary; admitted the" de- ; ceased t.j c tlie. infirmary on Ivjarch 1. She was-extensively-burnt over the back, thighs and aTWs;j.!3,Yitness did ngt.observe .mirks of any other injuries_.upon her. ■ It" was possible for.a b.ruise.to ~hav,6; fisted on her shoulder without its being' noticed fey witness. ' vi lhe #om'au grffdually>Ban'k, ahd'died on Wednesday laßt fronrtetanus, induced bv tjte f!; Th'e='ju'ry, without hesitation/•returned' a verdict of wilful murder ; Against ; - 'Thomas Maguire,; seal,? Who was. .accordingly committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Central Criminal Court ron: the 12th of May next.—.'Sydney Morning Herald,' March 15; ; - ;;rr " : '":-'-' ■ ■./ --f.-.,; °...'.» '