THE COLCHESTER MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4260, 21 January 1901, Page 5

THE COLCHESTER MURDER.

IS LILLYWHITE THE MAN?

INCIDENTS OF THE CASE

The case against tho man Ilillywhite, which concluded so far as the Magistrate’s Court was concerned, on Friday, was a. lengthy investigation. Lilywhite was arrested by Detective Nixon as long ago .as the 6th November^ of last year, in consequence of information supplied to the pojice.by a woman nameVi Margaret- Archer,alias Mrs Wong Hew, who has sine* disappeared. Tins woman was of immoral character, and the "fact was, she had been living in New Zealand with Blatch, a man against whom a verdict of wilful murder was returned by the Coroner’s jury which sat at the inquest on the body of the man Alfred Welch, who was murdered on the night of December Bth, 1893, at his shop in Colchester. The business pro? mises of Welch were burned down cn the same night, and his remains were found in the debris with portions of a rope round the neck and with tho skull smashed iu. Blatch, who had formerly been a porter in deceased’s employ, was stated to have visited the latter shortly before the discovery, to ask for money, and on inquiry being made, it was found that Blatch was missing, as was also about . £l5O from Welch’s private room. A search was instituted, and a mac answering Blatcli’s description was toniid to have walked during the night in a heavy rain some twelve miles to a little country station, where he appeared very excited on finding he had missed the early morning train to London. _ This lean was seen counting a quantity ci gold. A man, believed to bo Blatch, was ultimately traced to a house in Great Titchfield street, London, whom he had been living with a woman named Rash, although lie had a wife and child at Colchester. The police found a blood-stained coat and a cap, which was afterwards identified as having use.i left in Mr Welch’s shop on tho uigho of the fire. Blatch, however, had gone, and from that day has not been seen iu England. Tho evidence adduced at the inquest was of a most conclusivecharacter.

After the information had been given to the New Zoalandrpolice by the woman Archer—in the y*jar 1897—the conduct of the investigation- was entrusted to Detective Nixon. As a result of his. investigations, he foundl cause to suspect that Lilly white was identical with the man against whom the woman Archer had made the charge of murder, and cn the 6th November he took with him Detective Broberg and an cx-Col-cl'GjSter resident neffned Drawbridge, and accosted Lillywhito as the latter was painting a letter-box at the corner ci Willis and Manners streets. The party adourned to a room in the vicinity, and there Nixon made Lillywhito acquainted with the nature of the crime with which lie .was charged. Drawbridge at once swore to-Lilly white’s identity with Blatoh, and throughout all the subsequent proceedings he has been unwavering in that assertion. The case came on for hearing the. same day as the arrest was made,, and it has since been adjourned from week to week, evidence being at times ten-i clered, and at other times only a formal remand being made. Evidence was adduced for the Crown to prove that a person (alleged to bo identical with accused) stayed with the woman Archer at Otaki on the nights of Good Friday, and the following Saturday and Sunday in last year; that Lillywhito, while confined in the Wellington Hospital, made statements to a man named Hopkins, which went to - disprove his being in America at the time of 0e Colchester murder, and to prove that ho was then in England; and there i was also adduced the positive declaration of Drawbridge that the accused was Blatch.

The defence alleged that Lilly white was in America for years prior to the Colchester murder) and,that he did not leave thera > until a subsequent date; the papers ’ found in accused’s possession—conceding that they were legitimately the propei ty of aceused-r-seemecl to establish beyond a doubt that ha could not have been in England. Witnesses were called, to-swear that the man who was at Otaki was another person than accused; that accused was a competent painter by trade, and a mu-sician-two accomplishments not possessed by Match. The decision of the Court hung In tne balance until the arrival in Wellington of the English witnesses, and while tncy “halted between two opinions,” y there was a strong probability that the case would be thrown out, "but they finally unhesitatingly identified the accused ns Blatch. The case throughout has been fraught with unexpected turns anc) startling statements, and an infinity of trouble and pains has been taken by the parties concerned, the person who showed least concern in ties matter being accused himself. He apparently regards the . whole thing as a huge farce, of which only, be can see the humour.