A CANADIAN DOUBLE MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6362, 8 April 1882, Page 7

A CANADIAN DOUBLE MURDER.

Oxe of the most foul murders that has ever blackened the annals of Canadian crime was perpetrated about midnight on January 21, four miles from Comminsville, in the townof Flamboro East. Two meu named Kourke and Maher, were engaged in cutting wood on shares for a farmer named Sharman who lives several miles from the village. Kourke boarded •with Maher, who lives at a considerable distance from Waterdown, with his old father and his sister Bridget, In the afternoon Maher had occasion to go to the village to make some purchases. It was almost midnight when he returned. As he approached the house he heard a noise inside, and going stealthily up to the door he requested his sister to let him in. Just then Rourke appeared at the door with an axe in his hand and said, "You are just in time." With that he struck at Maher with the weapon, but the latter warded the blow off with a walking-stick which ho carried iu one of his hands. The axe in descending cut young Maher's hat in two. Maher struck his would"be murderer a blow with a stick which felled him to the ground. Throwing his stick aside Maher threw himself on his assailant and a fearful struggle for life and death ensued between the'men. Eourke finally extricated himself from the grasp of Maher and lied. On entering the house Maher was horrified to discover his father, Edward Maher, aged S3 years, and his sister Bridget, aged about 27 years, lying on the floor dead and fearfully mangled. Judging from the mutilated appearance of the victims it is evident that the fiend attempted to chop the bodies in pieces with his axe. The murderer is light in complexion, with no whiskers, sandy moustache, dark hair, slimly built, and about five feet ten or eleven inches in height. He is about 25 years of age. Hourke was captured by Constable Broake, of Hamilton, and an assistant, about two milea back of Waterdown. He was traced tothewood by drippings of blood which fell from the wound inflicted on his head by Maher. Coroner William Eiehardson, M.D., of Burlington, was notified of the murder of Edward Maher and his daughter Bridget. He impanelled a jury, who viewed the bodies, after which he adjourned the inquest. The murderer appears to have received severe punishment at the hands of Patrick Maher, as he was badly cut about the head.