The Dunedin Tragedy.

Hastings Standard, Issue 484, 24 November 1897, Page 4

The Dunedin Tragedy.

VERDICT OF W ILFUL MURDER. (Per Press Association.) Duxldin, IS'ov. 23. At the. inquest on Mrs Clements, opened this morning, after Constable Hickey had made his statement, Evidence was given in the afternoon by the neighbors as to the unhappy- life which the couple apparently led, and to Clements smashing up crockery, &e., on Saturday, the 13th. Clements on being asked what he had been doing said he was never sorry for what he did.

Dr Roberts, who made the post mortem minutely described the wounds on the bod y of the deceased. The most serious, on the throat, was a deep one; it entered from the right of the windpipe, across the windpipe to about one inch on the left side. The wound was very much deeper on the right side than on the left. It completely divided the internal jugular veins, and partially divided the carotid artery. The windpipe was divided transversely—not a clean cut, but in a jagged manner. The rest of the wound appeared to be clean cut. This wound was undoubtedly the most serious of the injuries, for the reason that it divided the large vessels on tbe right side of the neck, and was sufficient to produce death in a few minutes from bleeding. The second was on the left side of the neck, across the large muscles, and shallowed down to a mere scratch. It was also about two inches in length, but was not an important wound, as it divided no important vessels. He found a small recent bruise on the left cheek bone. The hair on the left side of the head was covered with blood. On examining the skull in that situation he found a wound about 2in above the left ear extending upwards and forwards. It was about 2in in length and jagged ; it appeared it bad been inflicted by a blunt instrument, either by a fall or blow. He also found a small punctured wound, hardly half an inch in length, in the upper portion of the left ear penetrating the cartilage of the ear. These were the only marks of violence. The important wound in front of the neck had not the character of a self-inflicted wound, presuming the individual was right-handed, for the reason that it was shallower on the left side than on the right. He thought it improbable any of the wounds were self-inflicted. Death was due to bleeding. The Coroner having summed up, the jury after a few minutes returned a verdict of wilful murder against Charles Clements. Accused was then brought before Mr Carew, S.M., on a charge of murder and was remanded to the 30th inst.