WIFE MURDER NEAR TAMWORTH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 14, 8 May 1876, Page 2

WIFE MURDER NEAR TAMWORTH.

[ABRIDGED FKOM THE " TASIWOBTH NEWS."] At the Tamworth Criminal Sittings held on the Sth ult., Michael Connelly was arraigned for the wilful murder, on December 24,°1575, of his wife, Mary Connolly. The case was purely circumstantial evidence. The prisoner and his wife took up their residence on the Peel River, near Carroll Gap, some seven years ago, and Connolly pursued his avocation as a farmer. In the course of time a family gathered round him "in the shape of a son and several daughters, and he and his wife appear to have lived happily together for some years. Some four years ago, however, a change came over his sentiments towards his wife, and he began to ill-use her with systematically horrible brutality. He became accustomed frequently to strike her with a heavy stick, and with a spade knock her down, kick her, and absolutely, in the words of a witness, "to dance unon her." This kind of thing lasted till his inhuman treatment of his wife drove the poor creature from her home, and in consequence of the fearful beatings she had-re-ceived she became partially demented, and eventually found herself in the GladesviUe Lunatic Asylum. Here she stayed upwards of a year. Meantime the children had been driven for refuge to the nouses cf neiglibouriiif fanners, who with their wives, seem to have been so moved with pity for the luckless babes as to make them inmates of their own families—to their lasting credit, be it said. His wife, who had returned 111 good health and spirits from Gladesville, called to see him, but he repulsed her with morose savagery. She went on to the farm of her husband, and, with the help of several kindly neighbours, got in the crop of wheat on the farm. At this time she was living with a person named liratieu and his wife and family, who lived about 150 yards distant from" the prisoner's house. Towards t.'te evening of the 23rd December, prisoner left Bratfccn's and went to his own place, and Mrs. Connolly followed him with some bread, tea, sugar, and a billy of water for the purpose, as she said, of "making a cup of tea." That was the last occasion on whicn she was seen alive. A person named Layers lived upwards of half a mile away, and this person was speaking to a man named Chapman about ten o'clock on the morning of the 2-ifch December, when prisoner came up walkiig, a-id Chapman said, "Good morning, Mick." Connolly said, '; My wife is dead;" aii'cl Chapman said, "'Did you kill her?" prif.oner replying, "Me kill her—me touch her - :" Chapman said, "Yes, you.'' Prisoner then stated that "About sunrise I went down to the stack to get some straw for the pigs, and was away about fifteen minutes, and when I went back 1 found my wire dead on the iioor, with a hole in her head.'' Chapman said, "That'll do. Did you kill her, Mick?" and prisoner replied, "No," in an excited way. Several of the neighbour; were alarmed, and three or four of them went to prisoner's house with prisoner, who had not mentioned the matter to his particular friend and near neighbour Bratton, nor to Ciiapman, the next nearest. They found, the door of prisoner's hub tied, but opened it and entered with prisoner, finding the body of Mrs. Connolly on the iioor, with the top of the head almost beaten in. Prisoner had stains like blood on his clothes, and when questioned said he got them shifting the body of his wife from where he found it lying, in front of the fireplace, to the corner of the hut. In the •hut was found a spade upon which were stains of blood, and part of the spade had been brightened recently. Prisoner was then seized and chained under a dray, the police were sent for, and he was subsequently arrested. During the whole course of brutality under which the unfortunate murdered woman had existed £>r years, it was proved by eye-witnesses of the savage assaults made on her that never by word or deed did she provoke the prisoner or retaliate upon him. It was proved by medical evidence that Connolly was perfectly sane both before and after the murder. "He was found guilty, and sentenced to death.