DEATH OF MRS. QUARRIE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 366, 26 June 1877, Page 2

DEATH OF MRS. QUARRIE.

THE INQUEST. The following is the continuation of our report of the Coroner's inquest held yesterday upon the body of Mrs. Sarah Quarrie : Emily Mona Quarrie to the Foreman : I cannot say whether mother fell on the the. back of the gate. I cannot tell how she fell. To Mr. O'Meagher : My brother's temperament is very excitable indeed. Ido not think any person drew my attention to the wound at the back of mother's head. Daniel was not pale when he came out in answer to my call. The first time I noticed his paleness was when mother had been carried in. lam quite positive that before he picked mother up he was not pale. I can remember one remarkable occasion on which Daniel became very excited. It was the time of my father's death. He then behaved much in the same manner—rushing about. He was then missing the greater portion of a day. He was then stopped by Mr. Black. Before leaving the house on the day of mother's death he did not change any of his clothes or take anything extra with him. He left by the back door, and rushed away rapidly. I think it was owing to something in connection with the washing that my mother was going out of the back gate. I cannot swear positively whether Daniel was in the yard when I passed through it. He was in the yard when I turned round to call him. I am quite positive that at the

time mother fell I was nearer to her than Daniel. I do not think George could, from his position in the dining-room, have seen anything transpiring in the

yard. If anyone had been using loud or angry language in the yard he could have heard them. Had he been sitting facing the window he could have seen what took place. Mother had been in the habit of taking hicra-picra and gin every morning, but she stopped taking it some weeks ago.

Emily Claridge, deposed : I am a milliner, at Messrs. J. K. Brown and Co.'s, and was a lodger at the house of Mrs. Quarrie on the 21st inst. I went for dinner at twelve o'clock that day, and left at one o'clock. I remarked to Mrs. Quarrie that she looked rather pale, and she said she had a giddiness in her head. When I left, the only persons in the house were Miss Cleary, Mrs. Quarrie, and Mona. I have been lodging three weeks at Mrs. Quarrie's. During that (time I have never heard any disputes between her and her children. I did not hear any "cross" words in the house on the 21st inst. Lo Mr. O'Meagher : On two or three previous occasions I have heard Mrs. Quarrie complain of giddiness in the head. Catherine Dougherty, wife of Neil Dougherty, deposed : I reside in Reedstreet, and next door to the residence of the late Mrs. Quarrie. I have seen Mrs. Quarrie almost every day for the last eight months. I was washing there on the 21st inst. I commenced at Bin the morning, and left at about half-past 11 o'clock. During the time I was there Mrs. Quarrie complained of being cold and a giddiness in her head. I left to go home and attend to my baby. I was to

go back when the dinner was over. I sent a little girl at half-past one to see if 1

should return and go on with the washing. The message the child brought back was to go at once, as Mrs. Quarrie was dead. As I went over I met Daniel just outside the back yard gate. He was crying. He told me to hurry in, as his mother was dj'ing. George and Mona were inside the house, standing near where Mrs. Quarrie was lying on her back on the floor. I saw a scratch or mark under her left ear. I did not see any other marks. Mona told me she saw her mother fall outside the gate. There was a little blood coming from the wound. During the eight months I have lived near Mrs. Quarrie I have never heard any disputes between Mrs. Quarrie and her children, and I never saw any signs of disputes. On the 21st, before 1 sent the child over to Mrs. Quarrio's house, I did not hear any disturbance on their premises. When I met Daniel at the gate he was crying and running at the same time. I never heard Mrs. Quarrie say that Daniel wanted to marry a young lady, and she objected to it. To the Foreman : The cut I noticed below Mrs. Quarrie's left ear was partly towards the back of her head. I did not notice any cut on the left cheek. There was an old scar on Mrs. Quarrie's nose. It was not bleeding when I saw her just after she died. I did not notice a pool of blood where she was lying, but I noticed some spots. To Mr. O'Meagher : She was lying with her head on the floor of the dining-room, and her feet in the passage. Previous to I that day I never heard Mrs. Quarrie complain of illness. Fanny Duggan deposed : I am a saleswoman at Hood and Shennan's, and have lodged with Mrs. Quarrie for twelve months. I went to dinner at 12 o'clock on Thursday last, and left again at ten minutes to 1 o'clock. Mrs. Quarrie then looked rather. pale, and complained of giddiness in the head. When I left the house there were in the house, Miss Cleary, Mrs. Claridge, Mona, and Mrs. Quarrie. 1 was standing at the back door speaking to Mrs. Quarrie when George passed in to his dinner. I did not see Daniel. I have heard all the members of the family, at different times, speak sharply to one another, but I never heard any quarrel. Daniel was always fond of his mother, and she was very fond of him. If they had been a quarrelsome family I would not have stayed with them twe . e months.

To Mr. O'Meagher : From my own observations, I formed the opinion that Daniel Quarrie was an affectionate son.

William O'Connor deposcv •. ' ; JR ( sergeant of police, stationed at "Wanna; About a quarter to 11 a.m. on Friday, t> 22nd inst., Daniel Quarrie camo to t Police Station, Waimate, in com pa: with- Thomas Richmond, landlord of t; Waimate Hotel, and stated that he li killed his mother in Oamaru, on the pr vious day. He said that his mother ;« himself had some words in the lutein and she hit him on the back with a toin hawk. She ran out into the yard, and; followed her, picked up a piece of won and threw it at her, and believed that hit her on the head. She was then stan ing at the back gate. She fell down, at himself and his brother George carrit her into the house, when they found th; she was dead. His brother then went f, the doctor. Before his brother roturiit with the doctor, he ran away from tl hoiise, and travelled all the night to W'a mate, where he arrived at about 4 o'cloc on Friday morning. On receiving tin information 1 took him before the \V» mate Court, on a charge of murder, win he was remanded to Oamaru. 1 aske him where his mother hit him with tl, tomahawk. He said just over the rig], hip. I examined him before he lc; Waimate on Saturday morning, and fouii a small wound in the place indicated, asked him what caused the quarrel, an he said it was in consequence of his kecj ing company with a young lady that lij mother did not like. He said lie wa at first going to tell his uncle, but tin, Mr. Richmond advised him to come ovc to me. His uncle lives near Timaii] When he first came, he was all right, bu after being locked up, he got very excited and said he would sooner bo outside i: the fresh air.

To Mr. O 'Meagher : He got very pal after being locked up, and talked i nothing else except about having kille, his mother. To the Foreman : When he came to in he did not look as though he had ben drinking. I saw no sign of drink. ! thought l.is excited state proceeded fron the act he had committed.

To Mr. O'Meagher : Richmond told m that he had advised Quarrie to come ove to me, tell me all about it, and give him self \ip, and it would be better for him Quarrie was present, and heard him. Tin wound on his back was circular shaped There was no blackness about it. It was scarcely as large as a sixpence. lam no: aware tlrat he has been in a state of ex citement since he was brought to Oamaru, Richmond said, " I persuaded Quarrie U come to you to give himself up, and tell .you all about it, and it would be all the better for him." Quarrie was present. Witness having contradicted hiinscli two or three times as to the actual com versation which took place between lihi and Richmond at the time of RLJuuoikl and Quarrie going to him,

Mr. O'Meagher said : Sergeant O'Connor, this young man is charged with the most serious oll'ence that can be brought against a man. I ask you to brush up your memory, and lie a little careful ; you have not been careful so far.

Sergeant O'Connor, in reply to further: questions said : I will not swear that Richmond said " T told Quarrie it would be better for him."

Mr. O'Meagher : Will you swear that Richmond did not say " It would be better for him."

Witness : You have got the only answer I can give you. Mr. O'Meagher further pressed for a reply, and witness said : I will not swear that Richmond did not add that "It would be better for him." To the Coroner : These words were used by Richmond, but not in the presence of Quarrie.

The inquiry was then f urthur adjourned until one o'clock on Thursday, to allow of Mr. Richmond, of Waimato, being summoned to give evidence.