THE OXLEY MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3675, 27 February 1899, Page 3

THE OXLEY MURDER.

MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY. STORY OF THE CRIPPLED BOY. Australian papers just to hand contain reports of the magisterial inquiry into the death of the boy Hill near Oxley who was murdered recently under particularly atrocious circumstances. Edward Eeton Earns Wilson, an exclergyman who had been arrested aAlbany on suspicion ot having been concerned in the affair, was present in custody. The principal witness was the son of the accused, a crippled boy or about eleven years ot age. In his testimony the lad gave detail;, of ius own and his lather’s movements in their overland jonrney'trom Brisbane am. then wont on to say : • “ Before coming To Oxley we met a boy riding a piebald horse. The boy passe. us, walking up the hill. He met us closto tlicrplace where the road branched ol:. Then my father turned round, am: wheeled me back a few yards toward. Ipswich, and went into the bush. Whin my lather was wheeling mo back I sav. tie boy on the pony just by a fence sui - rounding-a hollow with some stones in it. When my father left me in the road an i wont into the bush ho went in the direction or Ipswich. He left me in a cart a: the side of the road, on the right ban : side, looking towards Ipswich. My lather did not turn the cart, round, bx;. just left it standing as it was.' >. hen ra,. father started taking Tne towards Ipswic: t I asked lifm where no was going. He said ho was going into tho bush, and would rrtT’cack soon. My father leii me, in the road,* and went into tno busli . at a place where i..t fence was broken down.- i could only sec him. for a short distance, and then the trees'were in the way, and I lost sight o. aim. I remained there ror some time, and I heard the report of a revolver. Some time after my father returned. H / came out of the trees a little higher.up towards Ipswich than where my. part ,wa-i standing'.; US' said he had shot a" hawk, and • asked me if i' was all fight. I sal i “Yea.” I then asked, “ Where have you been ? " He replied, " I have just shot a hawk in the bush.” My lather said thay he had hit the hawk in the, wing. He asked me if I thought lie had been away a long time. He did not tell me any more aboiit the hawk, but asked me not to sa,v anything’at all about it. My father then wheeled me to tho road. The swagman wo met calhe from tne road cn tho righ hand side of the Ipswich road, looking towards Brisbane. VVhen we met him in ■ father spoke to him, but 1 could not hear What he said because they were talking in a low tone. They only spoke together fo a short,time. After they ceased talking wo came on, my father dragging my cart,. IN othing occurred before wo got to tin, Oxley Hotel except the meeting of a Jad. »,ud gentleman in a cart . My lathe ■ callqd at a house jiefore we reached the hotel; on the left hand side going towards Ipswicln He; did not stay there long but I hoard a person speaking to him. I think’l heard a map’s voice. It wan; dusk at the time. After that, we went on to the Oxley Hotel. "When we arrived.: my father had some ale, and then we both had our tea. After tea father put me into bed in a room the uoor of which opens into the road at one end of the. hotel. There were only two beds in the room,- the bods being smail ones. I slept alone that night, and did not see iny father going to 'bed at all. I was awakened in the morning by my father. We had breakfast, and then left the hotel, my father again dragging my cart. Wr came on to Brisbane." On the way we passed Corinda station,'but I do not remember tho ' other places we came through. At Corinda my father went to the station, and asked ir tnere was a train to Southport. At Briseane we went to the Exchange Hotel at first, but afterwards we went to the Metropolitan Hotel, where we stayed that night. Next morning my father took his shirt away to be washed. He told me about this ' afterwards, and also said, “I have sold my revolver at the nearest shop to the hotel.” He did not toll me which shop. I know what a revolver is. The first time i saw a revolver was when my father showed me one. He showed me his revolver at Ipswich, and taught me how to load it. The day before my fatner left Ipswich J saw only five cartridges in the box. My father: took the revolver from his black trunk before proceeding to teach me how to load it. At that time it was in r leather case. When we were leaving Ipswich that morning I did not see m*father put anything in his pocket. Coming along the road my fatner had other clothes than what he was previously wearing.,' I was , holding a parcel o clothes m the cart. I went to a house whore my father yvas staying the day before wo left Ipswich! That was when ) saw five cartridges, but I did not sec the revolver." Witness, who had throughout giver, most Intelligent answers, was then carried out of court. Sergeant Shanahan, at this stage: “J would ask your worships to adjourn the case.” 1 The’ Bench : “ This inquiry stands adjourned sine die.”