THE MURDER AT THE MOLTNEUX. FRIGHTFUL DISCLOSURES.

Otago Witness, Issue 556, 26 July 1862, Page 8

THE MURDER AT THE MOLTNEUX. FRIGHTFUL DISCLOSURES.

INQUEST ON TIIE BODY. It is our painful duty to record that all the suspicions that were entertained concerning the missing man, Andrew Wilson, having met with foul play, have been more than verified by the disclosures at the inquest on the body found in the Molyneux. A murder of the most diabolical character is proved to have been committed ; the whole annals of crime might be ransacked in v&in for an instance of an equally atrocious deed. The evidence of Dr. Nelson concerning the injuries received by the murdered man is almost sickening to peruse. Six mortal wounds at least are shown to have been inflicted, and, as if to defy identification, the face was smashed in, and battered out of the semblance of humanity. A short recapitulation of the previous rcumstances may make the proceedings of the inquest more intelligible. FIRST SUSPICION. Some six weeks back, Andrew Wilson left Dunedin for the purpose of visiting the Molyneux District, in search of land he desired to purchase. His frieud, Mr. Leary, living in town, not hearing of or from him for several weeks, proceeded to the spot, to make inquiries for him. With some little trouble, he traced him into Fratson's (the prisoner's) company, and then all information of him ceased. The matter was put into the hands of the police, fortunately in time to enable Pratson to be traced to the steamer Gothenburg, in which vessel he and his wife and child were just about to depart for Melbourne, having secured passages for that place. Fratson was arrested, and remanded from time to time, on the strength of sundry suspicions appearing against him, ferretted out by the police. Amongst these may be stated the fact of the deceased having been last heard of in the prisoner's hut, the sudden departure of the prisoner, the disappearance of an axe the prisoner was known to have borrowed on the night when Wilson visited him, and other circumstances. THE FINDING OF THE BODY. Whilst the remands were being obtained the police were using every exertion to find tb< body. The Molyneux was draggec for several days but without avail The way in which it was found would be deemed incredible if related in romance The Molyneux, which at Fratson's hut is 200 yards wide, with a swift current, became sc low and so placid and clear, that the police constable, who was in search of the deceased was able to see from the boat, as if reflected in a glass, the body of the murdered man, together with the axe, two razors, and two long sticks, lying in the bed of the river, close tc Fratson's hut. An extraordinary sengatior was created in the district. The river hat never been known so low or so quiei before ; not a few regarded it as a specia interposition of Divine Providence. It reads like the description in Eugene Aram's dream. " And I saw the Dead hi the river bed, For the faithless stream was dry." The body and the articles mentioned were lying close to Fratson's hut. The body itseli had got entangled in some snags, so that dragging would have been quite ineffectual. Nothing but this marvellous reflection from the river bed would have discovered the secret, The body would have decomposed, and the parts become scattered, and Andrew Wilson's fate would have always remained a mystery. APPEARANCE OP THE BODT. The nppearance-of the body was shocking in the extreme. Besides the decomposition ol the body, resulting from the immersion ir water, the face and neck were covered witli wounds, any one of which was mortal. Tc use the language of Macbeth, there wen " twenty moital murders 01 his crown." The pockets of the deceased were rifled, only one piece of written paper was left in them, bui which alone, without other evidence, was sufficient to identify the remains as those 0; Andrew Wilson. The axe bore marks o' blood and hair on it. There were also private marks in the shape of notches on it which served to identify it as the one lent tc Fratson on the night the deceased was knowr to be at his hut, THE INQUEST. Immediately on the finding of the body being known, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Branigan, proceeded to the spot accompanied by Dr. Nelson. The prisoner Fratson was also sant up. The inquest was held befon the newly appointed coroner, Mr. Edwin Rich who it is only right to say acquitted himsel singularly well, especially considering this was his first case.' The body was identified by several witnesses. Dr. Nelson's evidence was listened to with horror — his examination ol the body disclosed the most frightful injuries There were three cuts in the back of the heac] cutting through the vertebrae and spine, each instantaneously mortal. The face, to use the Doctor's words, was beaten to pulp. There was a stroke of the axe as if made when deceased was lying on his back, cutting the nose right through perpendicularly, there were six distinct wounds on the face, some given with the sharp side, the others with the back of the axe. Another wound is described as being above the right eye penetrating through the skull into the brain, fracturing the frontal and temporal bones, this wound wa3 also stated to be instaneously mortal. The Doctor frequently exclaimed during his evidence that in his whole experience he had never seen such butchery. Mr. Branigan conducted the case in person for the crown. The Jury returned a unanimous verdict of wilful murder. The prisoner, who was in charge of Detective Tuckwell, preserved an obstinately stolid demeanor during the inquest, but since its conclusion a wonderful and fearful change has come over him. He is scarcely to be recognised as the same person, and it will be necessary to watch him to prevent his injuringjrimself. He is a native of Yorkshire, about 35 years of age. He was fully committed for trial. We subjoin a report of the evielence given at the inquest : — Police Constable Blatch, who had been engaged with another person in dragging the river, stated Unit, on the 15th instant, he found the body of a man amongst some snags in the rirer, and he afterwards conveyed the body to the police stable. On the following day, on further search, he found two razors, 11 piece of rope, and two long poles ; the razors he found noarly opposite the prisoner's hut. The clay afterwards he found an American axe. The body was identified by William Ilenry Leary as being that of Andrew Wilson, whom he had known, having been in the same employment with him.] James M'Naughton stated, that about twelve weeks ago he had lent an American axe, which was peculiarly marked, by various notches being cut in the handle, and identified the axe produced as the one he had lost. A man named Wni. Hope swore to having seen the prisoner in possession of the'axe described by M'Nnughton. Ho was the better able to identify it having had it in his own possession on a previous occasion. Martin Eahey remembered Wilson coming down to inquire about land, and afterwards saw him in company with Fratson. Detective Tnckwcll gave evidence na to the apprehension of the prisoner on board the Gothenburg, when Pratson at first denied having been in company with the missing man, but afterwards acknowledged having been with a person answering his description. j Evidence was alsc given of the prisoner's wife having purchased provisions afc a store, stating she had a visitor at the hut staying for tea. ' Dr. Nelson stated that he had Examined the • body, which was far advanced in decomposition. I lie found in the outor jacket of the deceased four ! cuts, the upper one being three inches long. The second cht was the same length. These two cuts were half an inch or so apart on, the left Bide, and joined together on the. right. „ T.ho third. ,cul was I .thr.ee hac I.^1 .^ Ipng just at^he juutjtion of tliecollar, .and coat ; thefoufth cut was lower down, and of i -, fiftmp length, 0 tft9<?utß we^ ftaasverwJi

On examining the neck" he found threeincised wounds ; the first rather on the left side, sloping upwards three inches long, and dividing the integuments and muscles, penetrating and dividing the spinal cord. This wound would alone have been mortal. The second wound was three and tliree-quartor inches ldng, going through the spinal marrow to the vertebral column. This wound must also have been instantaneously mortal, The third wound was three inches long, penetrating skin and integuments, and cutting through the left spinous process of the third vertebrae. This wound, must also have caused instantaneous death, Dr, Nelson gave it as his opinion that the wounds had been given by a heavy cutting instrument When deceased was lying on his face. In giving his evidence as to the state of the deceased's face, Dr. Nelson stated that he had seen many cases, but none like this. The features were completely battered in by a heavy blunt instrument after having been cut by a sharp ono. There were six cuts and wounds penetrating through the skull into the brain, fracturing tho frontal and temporal bones and must have been mortal. The eye on one side was completely destroyed. One of the wounds cut perpendicularly through the nose dividing it exactly, and must have been given from behind the head when deceased was lying on' his back. After hearing the evidence the jury found a verdict of wilful murder against John Fratson, who was accordingly committed on the Coroners war-