MURDER CHARGE

Evening Star, Issue 18281, 22 May 1923, Page 7

MURDER CHARGE

A VICTORIAN CASE.

KELLY IN THE DOCK.

Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Press Association.

MELBOURNE, May 21. The trial of Kelly, charged with the murder of Mrs Overall, has _ commenced. Evidence similar to that given in the lower court was tendered.

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 According to this, Kelly was boarding with Mrs Overall, whom' ho arranged to pay £2 a week for life as value for her property. Later the woman fell ill, and Kelly arranged to send her to the hospital. Before this could be done she died. Kelly, according to his confession, thereupon became frightened, and burnt the body in a pandock, and threw the ashes into the River Yarra. He informed inquirers that he had bought the property for £I,OOO, and that the woman had gone away he knew not where. When first interrogated by the police ho told them that ho got no receipts for the purchase, but later ho produced two receipts for £SOO each, signed by Mrs Overall, but he subsequently stated that he had forged Mrs Overall’s signature. The ‘police found pieces of charred bones in the river, also traces where the body was alleged to have been burned.

Tho police also tendered further evidence that Kelly, under the name of O’Keefe, lived with a woman, Mary M'Grath, in tho Bacchus Marsh district, prior to boarding with Mrs Overall. Mrs M'Grath suddenly disappeared, and_ has not since been heard of. When questioned regarding Mrs M'Grath, Kelly said ; “ You don’t want to rake that up against mo now.”