THE MATLOCK MYSTERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MATLOCK MYSTERY.

The adjourned inquest into the circumstances attending the death of Mrs. Martha Morroll was" held- at Rockside hydropathic establishment, Matlock, Bath, on April; 3,; before Mr. Da vies, county coroner. Joseph Rowlotte, boots at' Rockside hydropathic establishment, said Mr." Morrell came there at 10.30 on Thursday night, and asked him to go to his house, as his wife ' was dead; and there had been an explosion in the house. He seemed excited and in a great ; hurry. Witness said Mr. Morrell ; was .fully. dressed. There were no signs of an explosion in the kitchen. Witness could not smell any burning in the house, nor ! was there any smell of singeing. The shortest way into the house was by the side entrance, but Morrell said,," Come in the front way." ' The blind was singed. He-did not'see a newspaper in the kitchen. Sergeant Ramshnll said two panes of glass '. were', broken in the kitchen. Several flower-pots with smoke upon them were on the table. A pair of broken spectacles in a case\vero found in a pool of blood. A pane of glass in the kitchen window had evidently been broken from the inside. He found a quantity of glass, in the garden facing the window. The other windows appeared to have been shot through. The blind was singed. Elizabeth Lister said she had worked for the Morrells for several years/and never heard the husband quarrel with Ins wife. She had never seen firearms in the house. The windows were not broken when she left the previous evening, and a box of dominoes was not on the table. Dr. Win, Moxon said the blind must have been down when the' shots were fired. The- right side of the face was com-, pletely - shattered, find several shots had perforated at the back of the hand. lie was of opinion that the shot was fired from the outside Jof the house. John Gill haying deposed to finding a cartridge case opposite the house on the morning following the event, Michael Thomas Morrell, husband of deceased, was called, and as a Quaker made the usual affirmation. He said he was a retired merchant. His wife was 77 years of age. He had tea with her the day before she was C killed. Witness, who appeared to be annoyed at questions being put to him, said he went to bed about; nine at night. He left his wife reading the newspaper. Ho loft the candle on the table in the kitchen. Ho lay awake in bed, and soon after heard an explosion, followed by two smaller explosions, and a little rustling like someone walking about. Ho called, and receiving no answer put on his stockings and went downstairs. Ho found his wife sitting where ho had left her, with her head hanging on ono side. When lie saw bldod ho thought she. had tcommitted suicide, but ho found nothing so warrant his ■" suspicion. Ho : went uptairs and dresssed, and then went to Rockside. He saw some men, who came up to his hou«c, but could not recognise them again. They did not go with him into the house. Ho wont in by the'side door. All the doors of the house were wide open when he went out to give tho alarm. Ho left thorn all open. No property was missing from tho house. He identified the spectacle case found in tho pool of blood near tho body as his own. He did nob know until after the crime that, his wife had £90 in the house. Inspector Hotehinson said the examination of Morrell's clothing revealed only a slight stain on ono leg of his trousers. The coroner said this was .all the evidence ho proposed ito I call. In summing up, 'the coroner said it was perfectly clear to his minnd that it was not a case lof suicide. After a 'brief deliberation, "" the jury returned an open verdict. ■'■■">. .' --;■:;