MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN SYDNEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9533, 27 November 1889, Page 5

MYSTERIOUS MURDER IN SYDNEY.

■<> ■■ A murder, which, for deliberateness of purpose, seems to have been unparalleled in the annals of Sydney, was perpetrated on Saturday, November If. It appears that shortly after 11 o'clock on Saturday night a man named Henry Blackburn, a labourer, was stabbed in the left; breast by some person who subsequently escaped. Blackburn, at the time the deed was committed, was standing at the corner of Riley and Devonshire streets, Surrey Hills, opposite the Royal Arms Hotel, and he expired a few minutes after he was stabbed. He was heard to call out, "Mick, I am stabbed, that man has stabbed me," at the same time pointing to one of two men who was beating a precipitate retreat. Deceased ' then endeavoured to • follow the : men, who ran 'in the direction of the Carring ton grounds, but after going about a hundred yards he became exhausted and fell to the ground and almost immediately expired. The weapon with which the deed was done is a butcher's ' knife, about seven inches and three-quarters long. The knife was driven into the deceased's body up to the hilt. The ugly weapon is now in the possession of the police at No. 2 station. It has since been identified by a Mr. Vaux, a butoher, carrying on business in Devon-shire-street. r He states that he did not miss the knife on Saturday night, and cannot account for its being taken without his knowledge. It is also stated that a man was seen to take the knife from Vaux's shop. Later on he was seen in company with another man to come out of a lane opposite to where Blackburn was standing with a knife behind him. He said, " You are one of-that push; take that," and lie then stabbed deceased. Dr. Philip, of Crown-street, examined the body of deceased shortly after the affray, and pronounced life to be extinct. Deceased was a single man, 23 years of age, and resided at the Quatre Bras Tannery,. Water 100. It would appear that deceased earlier in the evening met with a bricklayer, whose name is known, and went round to his house. This man and the deceased later' in ?■ the evening went out together. About halfpast 10 o'clock a dispute occurred between some men opposite Mr. Stewart's shop, Devonshire-street. A man rushed into Mr. " Stewart's house and closed the door, calling'' loudly for protection, Mr. Stewart, thinking that/ it might be a dodge on the part of the men to get at his cash-box, which was in the shop, ordered them out. They then left, and Mr. Stewart ordered the man who had asked for protection to.leave also, which he did. ' A quarter of an hour later Stewart heard of the news of the stabbing. Mr. O'Hea, the landlord; of the Royal-Arms Hotel, heard the de- . ceased oiill ;on t something,- but could not •tell what it was, and he also eaw two men .running awtyr." ~ <;•' " • ■ ' '■ * ■ ■ ■■ ■': : ; 'r '• v :•:■■ ;• ■-' ,V;v.'>'