CONFESSION OF MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4426, 5 August 1901, Page 5

CONFESSION OF MURDER.

A MASTERTON MYSTERY. DEATH OF MRS PAIN. Special to the “ Times.’’ MASTERTON, August 4. Robert Douglas, who has been in gaol for nearly tlm-o years on a hie sentence for having brutally assaulted a girl named Jessie Remington at Opaki, near Masterton, confessed last month to the gaoler of Lyttelton gaol to having in October, 1898, murdered Suzannah Pain at Miki Miki, about eight miles from here. Mrs Pain was found drowned in the Miki Miki stream. At the inquest Douglas gave evidence that he had been out on tho hills with Mrs Pain and that the woman had mysteriously disappeared. The medical evidence showed that a bruise on deceased’s head was post mortem, and that she had been asphyxiated after having fallen into the stream when in a fit.

As a result of public comment, tho body was subsequently exhumed, and Dr Teare, of Wellington, corroborated Lie local medical testimony, and no furher steps were taken. Accused, who has been brought to Masterton, was yesterday formally charged by Sergeant O’Malley with the murder. He will be brought before the Court tomorrow, charged, with murder, and re manded- till Friday. A surveyor will come up from Wellington to morrow and mukp a survey of Uio locality. Five or six witnesses from here will give evidence on Friday, including the doctor who made the post mortem. PARTICULARS OF THE AFFAIR. PAST HISTORY OF THE PRISONER. On Sunday, 23rd October, 1898, a son of Mrs Pain, of Mik Miki, near Masterton, reported to Sergeant O'Malley thin, his mother had been missing since the previous afternoon. Sergeant O Malley made all preparations for prosecuting a search, when another son reported that his mother’s dead body had been found in a gully about half a mile from the de. oeased’s house. The evidence at tho inauest showed that on Saturday afternoon Mrs Pain and the prisoner Douglas (who has confessed to the murder) went out mustering cattle, Douglas’s story was that Mrs Pain had sent him home, and stated her intention of pursuing a more circuitous route, to see if she could find any more cattle. As Mrs Pain did not return home that night, the members of the family became anxious, and instituted a thorough search, which resulted in the finding of tho unfortunate woman s body face downwards in a shallow pool of water. At the inquest Dr Butement gave evidence that the deceased died from asphyxia, due to drowning, and further stated that as Mrs Pain was subject to fits, she had probably fallen into the water, as the result of a seizure. Early in January, 1899, Douglas was convicted of having committed rape, under especially violent circumstances, upon a young girl near Masterton. The evidence showed that the prisoner had not only effected his purpose, but that ha had brutally his victim; that he had kicked her in the body; had rendered her unconscious; and had then covered her over with fern, apparently believing her to ho dead. The pn. soner got into the box. and made a rambling statement on oath effect that he had never seen the girl on the day of the assault. The 'evidence was all against him, and a Wellington jury convicted.

The question of, the sanity of the accused was raised, and gone very fully into. Dr Hassell said Douglas was intellectually below par, and was deficient in self-control, a deficiency which was probably hereditary. The prisoner would always be a danger to society if be were allowed to remain at large. It transpired during the hearing of the case that Douglas had on a former occasion violently outraged a young female.

In sentencing Douglas to penal servitude for life, Mr Justice Edwards said, inter alia: “Beyond all doubt, the offence you have committed is the gravest and most wicked that can be committed, short of murder—if, indeed, it falls short of that. Indeed, I have little doubt that you did intend to murder the unhappy girl, and that you thought you had d6ne so. When you threw her body over the bank, and helped it with a parting kick, you thought you had deprived her of life, and rendered it impossible for her to give testimony against you. Whether that he so or not, the crime is a crime of the deepest gravity, committed -with the grossest and most wilful brutality on a young girl who up to that time was a virgin, and little more than a child. It would be an insult to the brute creation to call such as you a brute, for brutes do not commit such acts as these. If I could find it consistent with my duty to sentence you to something short of imprisonment for life I should have inflicted upon you the most severe punishment that can be inflicted—-flogging up to the full measure allowed by law. But, inasmuch as I intend j as far as in mo lies, to render it imposible for you to again commit snob an outrage in the future, I shall remit that punishment—not because you don’t deserve it, but because the law seeks not revenge, but the punishment and prevention of crime in future. The sentence of the Court is that you be imprisoned for the term of your natural life.” Douglas, who did not show any concern at the sentence, was then removed.

Shortly after Douglas had been sentenced the body of the late Mrs Susannah Pain was exhumed in the Masterton cemetery (Saturday, February 27, 1899). This action was taken in consequence of statements that were freely made that Douglas had done the deceased to death, and that a careful post-mortem would disclose injuries of a nature to support this theory. A most circumstantial rumour was afloat that Douglas had B hot Mrs Pain in the head, and that a postmortem would disclose a bullet-hola, in the skull.

Finally it was deemed advisable by the Department of Justice, in order to allay popular excitement—which had been, growing in intensity since the Opaki outrage—to exhume the body of the deceased woman. Accordingly, the coffin was removed to the Masterton morgue early on Saturday, pending the arrival of Dr Teare, police surgeon of Wellington, by the morning train. Dr Butement assisted Dr Tears in his examination. An undertaker having removed the coffin lid, the body was carefully examined, though in a very condition. Tho skull was very carefully inspected. Dr Tear e reported to the authorities that ,ho was unable to find that any injury had been caused to the head of the corpse. A faint bruise was discovered on the front portion of the head, but nothing more. In view of this testimony, further particulars of the confession of the prisoner will be awaited with interest.