A MELBOURNE MURDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16547, 22 November 1915, Page 2

A MELBOURNE MURDER

JEALOUSY THE CAUSE.

WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH.

Pros* AMoei&tioa—Bjr Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, November 19. Maria Black has been sentenced to death for the murder of Mrs Weston. 111-feeling' between two women culminated in a tragedy at West Melbourne on Wednesday, October 13. Mabel Weston, a married woman, about 45 years of age, board-ing-housekeeper, wa<s shot dead at her home, arid Maria Black, aged 29 years, a single woman, of North Melbourne, was arrested after the shooting by Plain-clothes Constable Harrington and JJetect.ivo Olholm on a charge of murder. Black said that she had known Mrs Weston for about three years. Mrs Weston conducted a lodging-house next door to Black's parents' residence, and while there Valdo Pinsaek boarded with her. "Piusack used to pay attentiqn to me," continued Black, and frequently asked mo to marry him. I refused, bccause I did not care for him. I, however, pretended I did care for him; the reason was because I wanted him to leave the Westons and go back to his own people in Blackwood street, North Melbourne. Mrs Weston put every obstacle in the way of preventing us coming together. She had great influence over him. On three occasions this year I wrote to Pinsaek, and on each occasion the letters were returned to me in fresh envelopes, with filth smeared on them. I blamed Mrs Weston for this. While living next door to us Mrs Weston made remarks in a tone that I could overhear as to her relations with Pinsaek, her object being to annoy me. In January of this year Mrs Weston and her family went to live in Capel street, West Melbourne, and I never visited there till to-day. At about 1 o'clock I left home intending to deliver a letter to Pinsaek, who still resides with the Westons. Before leaving home I took a revolver from a drawer in one of my brother's rooms. I found some cartridges in a tin, loaded the revolver, and put it in my handbag. My reason for taking the revolver was to frighten Pinsaek into giving me a certain post-card which I believe had been written on by Thelma Weston (deceased's daughter), and which they alleged had been written by me. When I arrived at Capel street I 'went in by the back gate and walked straight into the kitchen. When I arrived at the kitchen door I took the revolver from my hag ajid walked in. Mrs Weston was sitting in a chair or standing just inside the kitchen door, and the next I remember was Pinsack knocking me about and attempting to take the revolver from me. I do not remember firing any shots. My only reason for going to Weston's house is on account of the humiliation and insults I have been subjected to by Mrs Weston and by Pinsack at her instigation."