FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT TOPHOUSE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1180, 12 October 1894, Page 35

FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT TOPHOUSE.

TWO MEN MURDERED. SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER. Nelson, October 5. The following telegram was received from Tophouse by Mr Calders, chief postmaster, at 4.30 p.m. to-day : —“ The dead bodies of Messrs Wallis, Lane and Bateman were found near Longney’s Accommodation House, known as the Tophouse. Bateman appears to have shot his two victims this morning, and himself on the verandah of Longney’s house. He was seen this morning walking about the Hillside with a gun in his hand, apparently out of his mind. Mr and Mrs Longney are absent at Blenheim, and they left Bateman in charge.” At 7.30 p.m. Sergeant-Major Pratt received the following wire from the constable, who reached Tophouse at 7 o’clock: —“Found the body of Mr Wallis, telegraphist, lying in the paddock behind the station with a gunshot wound in his neck, also that of John Lane' lying on the road beyond Tophouse with a gunshot wound behind the ear, dead. Both men were shot by W. Bateman, who afterwards shot himself on the verandah of Longney’s Accommodation House.”

The bodies will be brought to Foxhill on Saturday evening, where the inquest will be held.

Wallis leaves a wife, but no family. The poor woman must have passed a terrible night besieged by the mad man and alone in the house. At Longney’s house there were a governess and two children, but they were not molested. THE INQUEST. Nelson, October 7. An inquest on the bodies of John Stephen Lane and William Henry Wallis was held at Foxhill on Saturday night, lasting till nearly 11 o’clock. Constables Knapp and Phair deposed to reaching Tophouse about 6 o’clock on Friday evening, and finding the dead body of Wm. Bateman lying on the verandah of the accommodation house. About two hundred yards on the Wairau side of the house the body of Lane, which had been dragged from the centre of the road to behind a log at the side, was found ; and the body of Wallis, telegraphist, was found lying face downwards in a paddock just at the back of the telegraph station, about fifty yards therefrom. Both men had been shot from behind, and at such close quarters that they were blackened by powder. The charge entered Wallis’ head behind the right ear, and Lane’s behind the left. From the story narrated it appeared that Bateman had induced Lane to walk up the road and that he had only his slippers on. He then went to Wallis, and asked him to accompany him (Bateman) hare-shooting. Wallis complied, but was shot close to his own house. Both were shot somewhere about 8 o’clock on Thursday evening and were lying a quarter of a mile apart. Wallis’ body had been covered with a horse-cloth that belonged to the accommodation house. Wallis had fallen with his gun under him. It was a breechloader, single-barrel, and had not recently been discharged and contained a cartridge. The constables could find nothing to indicate a motive for the crimes. The following letters were found at the accommodation house after the tragedy:—Tophouse, 3rd October, 1894. To Mrs McLeod—Dear Sister, —Just a few lines for the last. I may be dead when you get this, but never mind ; don’t weep for me, for I am tired of this world. I am only a trouble to myself and everyone else. I am very sorry for you and the misfortune that Jim met with. When I am gone and passed away pray for me and plant a flower on niy grave. I am with Louie (Mrs Longney, another sistei’). She looks down on me like a dog, but never mind they will miss me. If you see mother you might give my love to her, and tell her I will meet her in the next world where there is no more trouble and worry. I did not get your letter for weeks after you wrote. I was sorry but could not help you at the time. If I had got it a week or so sooner I could have sent you a few pounds. I have no more to say. Give my love to all the children and Jim and self. I may see you before you get this, if not, good-bye for ever in this world.—Your brother W. Bateman.” There was also found in Mr Longney’s diary, evidently intended

for him, the following letter:—“ Tophouse, October 4,1894. —Dear Nat, —Just a fe w lines for the last. I went to Wakefield and saw Mac. I had a good talk with bim. I told him this would be, but he would not believe me. Well, I made up my mind to shoot all but the children. Goodbye.—W. Bateman.”

A witness named Mead deposed to being called by Robert Kerr to assist, and riding up to the accommodation house with his son on Friday morning, saw Bateman flourishing a gun as though he meant to use it, and then they turned back to the telegraph office, which was guarded by themselves and others. They continued to see Bateman on the verandah of the accommodation house, but subsequently they heard a shot and saw something lying on the verandah. They still waited some time, but on going up found Bateman lying dead. There was no one else there who could have shot him.

The police deposed that the mark on Bateman’s bare big toe indicated that he pulled the trigger therewith. Close tohim was a bottle with some whisky in it, with another that had contained rum, and a glass and a jug of water. Miss Wylie, governess at Longney’s, and three of the children got down to the telegraph office on Friday morning, and were there when assistance arrived.

A swagger named Nicholls, a deaf young man, obtained a shakedown at the accommodation house on Thursday night. Lane consented to his staying there, and he did some work and turned in later. Lane and Bateman both came where he was, and later on Bateman came back and offered him a bottle. Nicholls asked what it was, and at last understood it was rum, when he said he was a teetotaller. Bateman gave a grunt, and walked away as though sober, but he seemed muddled about the head. Next morning Nicholls saw Bateman sitting on .a log, with the gun leaning against it. He went to the house to see Lane, and knocked, but no one was about. He then spoke to Bateman, asking where Lane was, and for reply Bateman pointed to the bush. He then asked Bateman what he shot last night, but received no reply. After that he went to the telegraph office to ask the direction, but though he knocked at the back and front, there was no one there, and he went on the road and subsequently met the police, who questioned him.

Mrs Wallis was called, but her friends had taken her to town, and a telegram was received that she had fainted on the way.. Miss Wylie was not brought down. The jury expressed themselves satisfied and went to consider their verdict, and shortly returned the following : —“ After hearing the evidence given, we find that the two deceased—William Henry Wallis and J. S. Lane—came by their death by gunshot wounds inflicted by one Wm. Bateman.” They added, “We also think that had Miss Wylie and Mrs Wallis been present we should have had fuller particulars, but we do not think that anything further could have altered the verdict.” An inquest was then held on Bateman before the same jury, and they returned the following verdict: “We are of opinion that deceased came by his death by a gunshot wound inflicted by himself whilst in an unsound state of mind.” There seems little doubt that Bateman was jealous of Lane. He was in town on. Thursday, professedly to see about a dog to enable him to go mustering at Birch. Hill, but it is thought his real object waa to get some caps. The reason for his killing the telegraphist is difficult to conceive, but tli» suggestion is that he sought to prevent the news of the other murder being sent away. During Thursday night he waa threatening Miss Wylie, and sharpened a. knife in her room, but one of the children, of whom he was fond, clung to the girl. She with the children escaped to the telegraph office in the morning, and one of the little boys in going there found the body of Mr Wallis covered over. The two women were in dread of death, and Mrs Wallis had hidden a paper on which she had written : “If Miss Wylie and I are found dead, Bateman has killed us.”

The funerals of Wallis and Lane to-day proceeded together to the cemetery, the two men being buried in the same plot of ground, side by side. The funerals wera witnessed by a great number of spectators.