The Murchison Tragedy.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8835, 15 July 1905, Page 2

The Murchison Tragedy.

lly Telegraph

West port. July J!>. Scwell uhn I', responsible lor llv Mill' ~,is" " l,: "'''■' : , 11 . r "'M,"' , M.'i ilv'l'al' "7 MX^ S \m!' , i i r.;\'lM.V «!;'•: ,„ t,,,,,',i,,„: I In- .vi." !■' I.'- I»»l.v »."<< . ; „,„g to sleep, allowing llv horse-, In jog ;„.!.! I 1.,...r.T..,s ,„.„l «..1,...i Urol. A '-<" -V-- ■<#<- "'"," 'V ]|""r In c'l !i ,^;:ht;;!j,^i.:, "-"i-'-«V"Weii! , ::. ,^ii 1,1,11, .-,, up " il.' llli'lvlll'oll pl-iiiivded to , H.I. ..'.•.•M.llM.V't- .•'>»■'»""•• '•" , ■' " 5,1,c,.0r managed te, !'■"•"> I."". '-'..1 «r..1.. eli the ;«r t. *.,.<■■«■ .V'V ; '". Illll "" :l ~,.,, |,.i,„. „.,.s found lie,"- "'." Il " m " , "' Ne.ime, plaintilt in v. alr\ '■ ' l > s ''l' 1 !""•.. • v,, K s,m. July lb. In regard to llv. Murchisoh ' '■<'«'"'>'..' ''•' following is the nllii-ial IclcTk"' roci'ivi'il l,v (he chief postmaster at Nolwm l, " m '" postmaster at iMiuvhisnn : --"hilt.""? <"" hearing of the Neame v. Scwell rill, ''> ' " ~,■ll became rsriled and I lirealcm-i. " Mow up (he Couilhoicv. The Magutr. l, ° IMr Kcnriil,), b'l.riiij.' mi incident, iimU," Sewell In leave llie fouil. ami the Imipe'1,,r of I'oliee and Constable Sell followed, intending lo arrest him. U bvn just out .'„!,.. Sew,'ll ,;.ir-cd bn charges of dyn.'in.ili'. ]„, |,,„1 roiico.ile,,' on his person lo explode.. Mowing himsi'ir to alin-ih. and ser sly in .urine; 111. lir.p-'. (or ol' I'ol , a ni.'.iv 'iame.l Hiu.n, while several others were . lightly injured. The ('ouill.nuso win' eh damaged."

ll in u,,| explained linw II inibcr oi; charges (if dynamite WHS ilM'Cl'lllitll'll, H..H He mr there is'no iiil'i>rm;ilinii In lut ml <li'Mcarl ridge cases were I'riiiinl among Sewi'll'ii ■c:,tiered f.Mii.-iillH. S-wcll had n. long standing dispute Willi Waller Ncanic, mill I In- two had ll,™ 11111" ii. • TIIU v fur ii consider able period. 'l'll,' .pinlTcl cilmillal I'll mi i hi.-, occasion iii a, civil suit brought liy Xc. in ciiiiiii'cliiiii with Ihc purchase or ownership ~f a couple ul entile wliicl' Wainc declared li.kl I n taken I'rniii liini' In- Scwcll when calves. N.'11.1111- seemed to have ceaselessly complained ul Scwcll,' lull. h.cl hecu nimble to obtain rclicl. mi Scwcll was greatly respclcil. Twelve ntmlHm nj»'» Xi-iiinc reported lo lie |iiiliei- lindil.'g kern s"iie-slei-pe ( | :d liim il ', which l.ic ul Ice;,',l In lie nil lire, :in.l lie blamed SeWJ'll, I hut. 111, dour w.-iii unlv iilighlly clmrreii. Sis months ago N'ciinic reported Hint, ho found mi iugeniniislv ooiilri\cil infernal inn chine two chains from liin place so ,|cmi,c,( I Iml when lie lift,',l the liil mi explosion v.oiihl follow, Iml. ii,; licit,lies were in it. .-■ml the nccoiilil imi ,ii .erolil cl, 'l'liree months lie;,, Neil ace,cot Scwcll of poisoning liim pigs, but I (lis n|-.-> wan di-i crdilol. Finally Ihc stealing of culver, ciihiiiiintcl in ii civil suit, ending ,111 din nslroiislv. Scwcll, who wiim .'in elderly Minn, wiis of retiring haMls. mid wan ,I,','ln cl eccentric, as he had idee; nnil IHiliiillM ,oiisidenihly in advance of the lii i. 11, is Miid thai he devised a. s, heme of motor traction lorn; hcl'ore motor cars or 'hiiseil were common, anil his place of a. few in n--i has sonic curious and ingenious liiecli.-mii'iii ciiili'iviiiii'i-s of his own ciiiihl ruction. 110 also seemed (o have realised lII,' value of the "open air I real inenl" limn hefore meili enl science accepted it. For his Ili-liKU'r. sake nnd ulher reasons he used lo sleep in a van which he had covered in, nnd because of this he was regarded an n, lilllo •■dully." Those who knew Scwcll very well, however, describe him as a ipiiet, ill tclligcnt, old mini, extremely sciisilivn juid retiring, hut. of warm and impulsive, tcmpcr. Scwcll was grcally excited uviir Iho suit brought agn.insl. him, and il, is Ntiiil thai, lie had a, revolver in Ins poKHcKiiiiin which he intended lo take with him lo the Courthouse, ll is also said Unit on Tliurn. day some Murcllison p, ople declared I hat, Ihev would not enter ill" hud.'hie v. I, 111 Sew,'ll was there. No .advice had iieen roceived by noon to-day regarding the run. ■ lit ion of Insjicclor Wilson and Ihe ol.liorn who had I n injured. |)r Conlali, of liccfton, was telegraphed for an soon ns tin- t.rngcdy occurred.