THE CESSNOCK TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19256, 21 August 1924, Page 7

THE CESSNOCK TRAGEDY

JONES COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. STATEMENT BY THE ACCUSED. Prasa Association —By Telegraph Copyright. SYDNEY, August 20. (Received August 20, .at 9.5 p.m.) At the inquest on Murphy, the victim of the Cessnock tragedy, Andrew Jones was committed for trial on a charge ot murdering Murphy. . In a statement Jones said that Murphy, who was drunk, made an improper suggestion to him, and tried to drag mm into the bush, A fight followed and ho knocked Murphy down and left him lym? on the ground. He came back later and found him still prone and Weeding. He dragged him to a creek, intending to get water to restore him to consciousness, but the body slipped into the creek. Jones tried to got him out, but owing to the darkness he failed. He got frightened and went away. On August 3 the body of a man, who was afterwards identified as a tinker named Patrick Murphy, was found in a creek in a lonely part of the bush near Cessnock, a colliery township. His neck was broken, apparently by a blow from a hammer. A low days later Andrew Jones, another tinker, who some two months previously had visited houses in Cessnock looking for work, was arrested and charged with having murdered Murphy. __________