THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5946, 17 March 1880, Page 5

THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY.

fßx TbxiEGEaphJ, '’ . _ IjPEOM ONE OWN OOEHEOPONDENT.] i dune Din,. Maboh i 6. At the .this. morning, in the presence of a large crowd, Robert, Butler, alias Donnelly,! alias filed way,: alias Thomas lee, wasoharged, with the murder, on March 15, pf James Dewar, Elizabeth, DewaV, and Elizabeth Dewar,(an infant). , A second information was read charging him with presenting a-revplrer against., James,,Andrew - Townsend-: : After the informatio'ns had been read'over,l,./,,; • ft, ! : ; Inspector - Mallard, said.: The accused was apprehended yesterday, afternoon. ; by ; Con-, a tables Townsend, ;of Waikouaiti ); and; Coulhoume, of Blueskin,, on. the. charge jof attempting to. shoot Constable Townsend. Subsequent inquiries made . by . myself and Detective Hendersonat Waikouaiti ‘caused thft charge of murder to be entered, and we only arrived bin Dunedin this morning;, with; the: prisoner. :i I deem it now, to be my ; duty, to state that there wiU entered against tho prisoner., ;- .r At present I am not prepared to say whether, .that j charge, will take the shape of arson, that iis, the burning down of Mr Stamper’shouae, or, whether it will take the shape of burglariously entering and stealing from the premises of Mr Stamper. . There was -a 'fife: in Mr Stamper’s house on Saturday morning fast, anda man was seen, or rather, someone was seen about the place. Upon- the prisoner some of Mr Stamper’s property has been found and identified this morning, so that the third charge will take the shape of burglary or arson. 1 I mention this so that the prisoner will not have an 1 opportunity of saying that I kept anything back. i . His Worship': Am I to understand-.that you 1 are not .prepared to go on with, the, charges now? : Inspector Mallard: Of course; the prisoner , will have to be present at ,the inquest. The Coroner intended holding tho inquest to-day, but, at my request, last night he decided, not to do so, and no precept tbs -been] issued. The matter has now'assumed ‘suchah aspect that on the spur of the moment one 'ii hardly prepared to say what course he’ intends, to take. :: T have been informed that the Coroner intends holding an inquest at 8 o’clock tomorrow, and my present application' is, that prisoner should be remanded on- these, two thitil Monday next. If I • want a further' adjournment then- of course it will have to be granted. ■ ;• 1 His Worship then remanded prisoner until Monday heit, on both charges. * - Thei prisoner hkd since his recent discharge from gaol, been staying at the Scotia Hotel, within three minutes’ walk of tho scene of .the tragedy; but was absent on Friday and Satur*. day night. He 'went there about 7 o’clock on Sunday morning; andgot his topcoat from the servant; stating that he was about to leave town by train. He walked‘as far' as. "Waitati, taking supper at the Saratoga Hotel at 10 o’clock that night, and ' left : shortly afterwards. It has been reported that a Corporation employee; who ‘was passing (Grant’s house at 2 am. on , Sunday, sawtwo men standing at the gate, and that they separated on seeing him, but the ,’police have enquired ieto the mattery and it turns out that there was nothing in it. ’ From other information obtained as to the movements .of prisoner before and after.the murder, it appears that-he returned to the Scotia Hotel oh Suhday'morning about half an hour before the discovery of tho fire and murder by Hobb. He entered the , hotel ’hufrifdly, and his' manner is described as excited. Ho walked the entire distance to Blueskin oii the road, and changed hia clothes and clipped off bis mouktache while at the Saratoga Hotel. The murder was dipoussed in his presence, and he w*s kpoken to on too subject, but without giving any answer he rose and left. . - .