CHARGE OF MURDER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 59

CHARGE OF MURDER.

DEATHS OF MRS DILLON AT MERCER. INQUEST AT AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, January 5. In connection wth the death of Mrs Dillon, who was found dead in a house at Mercer on Monday night, the police arrested a man who, it is alleged, was seen leaving the deceased’s house shortly before the discovery of her death. The woman’s limbs were bruised. At the inquest evidence was given bv Mar garet Robinson that between 4 and 5 o’clock she saw a man, William Murton, come out of the deceased’s house. He said she was asleep. Witness and another person went in and found Mrs Dillon on a sofa. They could not arouse her, and raised an alarm. The oilcloth on the floor and the carpet were crumpled up. AUCKLAND, January 6. The inquest on Mrs Dillon, who was found dead in a house at Mercer on Monday night, had to be adjourned till Saturady, owing to witnesses not appearing. The police were instructed to ensure the attendance of several persons. It is alleged that the condition of the body and clothes of the dead woman afford indications of an attempt to commit a criminal assault. It is supposed that the deceased succumbed to shock.

Dr Dalziel made a post-mortem examination, but the report Avill not be made till Saturday. Murton, ivlio is charged with manslaughter, and remanded, is a poAverfully built young man, thirty-tivo years of age, and was lately employed on one cf the steamers plying on the Waikato. Mrs Dillon Avas apparently between 55 and 60 years of age. Her husband, Mr John Dillon, served in the Waikato War as one of the Imperial regiment. Mr and Mrs Dillon formerly kept the old Mercer Hotel. AUCKLAND, January 8. The inquest on the body of Mrs Dillon. avJio Avas found dead in her house at Mercer, was concluded yesterday. Dr Dalziel deposed that he found a carpet, and other articles disarranged, and there were signs of beer-clrinking. Deceased’s body Avas on a couch and covered by a rug. The av Oman’s garments were torn. The left atm bore the deep impression of four fingers near the elbow. The marks Avere those of a male hand. They were too broad for a woman’s fingers to- have caused them. Mr Baume, solicitor for the man Murt.cn, who was charged with manslaughter, suggested that his client should show his hand, Avhich was huge. Detect He Mcllveney said more than one man had hold of deceased that clay. Dr Dalziel, replying to the Coroner, said accused’s hand would make larger impressions.

The mystery of the hand-prints was cleared up by the evidence of Harry Thomas Gillies, flaxmill-oAvner, who stated that on the day of the death of Mrs Dillon he was asked to go in and see her, as she was very ill. He found the Avoman very ill, and according to her statement she had taken little food for three days. She was retching auolently. In assisting to lift her on to a couch he to-ok hold of her arm, and he had no doubt that his hand caused the marks. Dr Dalziel, on examining Gillies’s hand, said that it Avas of the size that would ha\ r e caused the marks. Continuing his evidence, Dr Dalziel said that- as the result of the post-mor-tem he found evidences of he«,rt disease, and, in his opinion, death was caused .by heart, failure., brought about either by fear or exertion. By exertion, he said, he meant, that which would be entailed by resisting an assault, but the exertion of violent retching might also have caused death. The evidence of two other men Avho visited the house- the same day and noticed the illness of deceased Avas taken. The jury returned a verdict that deceased died through heart failure, brought about by excessive excitement caused by assault. Murton Avas then brought before Mr Ewing, J-P., and (the preA'ious charge of manslaughter having been withdrawn) he Avas charged Avith the murder of Mrs Dillon, and remanded till Friday next.