CONFESSING TO A MURDER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 29

CONFESSING TO A MURDER.

A STRANGE STORY. Auckland, May 13. Lftjfc night a mtm n*med Samuel Evison, a carpetiter, gave hirmelf up ts Constable Forbes, of Hamilton, and confessed to having ciused the death by drowning of a woman whom he pushed into the River Trfnt, at Nottingham, in March 1382. The constable got his statement taken btfore a J.P. Bvi«on appeared perfect'y '_ano. He sa ted that he knew the woman only by Ihe name of Jenny, and was acquainted with her only thiea weeks. Her residence was unknown. She wa* emplo} el as a clipper scolloper in the lace trade. Ho states she was 20 years of age, dark in complexion, with hazel eyfs. At tbe time of the occurrence he ysas employed by Bell and Sons, contractors and builders, Sherwood street, and boarded with another carpenter in Waterway street, Nottingham. Herbert Johnson Eyifon &t\tes th&t his sister and mother reside iv Ret ford, Nottingham. Constable Forbea brings Evison to Auckland to mcrrow. May 14. The man Evison, who has made a confession to a coustable that he had caused the death of » young woman at Nottingham, left England in 1682 in the s' earner Ophir, for Sydney. He next went to Britbiue, and then to Auckland. He has resided fo: some years in the neighbourhood of HaOailfcon. PiUocer was charged at the Police Comt,' Hamilton, on his own confewion, with having caused the death of a youog woman at Nottingham, England, in 1882, by pasting her down, she striking her head on Ihe copestone of the emb*nkmeut of ths River Trent and rolling into <he river. Prisoner w»s remanded for eight days. Ho will be brought np at Auckland en Tuesday text. Inspector Hitkson has communicated with the Commissioner of Police, Wellington, it is presumed with a view of cabling to the Scotland Yard authorities, London, and making further investigations. In hia confession Evicon gays :— " In March, 1831, I was in Nottingham, England, and was walking with a girl ratted Jinny, whom I had picked up in the ttreet about three wests previously. I had a few words about seeing her with anotber young man. She hit me in the face. . I gave her a push, and she fsll on her he&d on the stone copiog on the edge of the footpath, >nd fell into the Rivtr Trent. The coping w*B built right up from the river, and formed a promenade close to the Nottingham Trent bridge. It was dark. 1 saw her et.ike the water and float down tbe river about six yards. She was struggling in tbe water. I then came from the end of the bridge on to the road, and scarcely knew what to do. I went over the bridge, came beck, and went home. I have never heard any mere about it. I was in a passion at the time. I did not know the girl by any other name than Jenny. She was in tbe lace trade. I did not know where she lived." The man Samuel Evison, who has confessed to a murder in Nottingham, arrived by train this afternoon from Hamilton, being under the charge of Constable Forbes, of that township. On arrival at Newmarket station the man was taken up to Mount Eden Gaol, where he is lodged pending examination- before the magistrates next week. Evieon is 36 sears cf age, and is a very quisfc and reserved man, of medium height, with a strong figure and of dark complexion, with dirk hair and moustache, and with several days' growth of beard on hi« checks and ebin. Ho is a carpenter, and is spoken of as a very good workm»n. Although i esiding in Hamilton .for over two years, Evison did not make many friends ; in fact his appearance was always thxt of the greatest reserve, almost to morosenes3. When questioned as to the 0.0 iva which induced him to confess his crime, Eviiton said that for the last 13 years he had suffered the pings of a guilt-stiiken conscience. "I have not," he said, when quettioned by the constablp, " been able to get rid of the fesling tb&t I was the girl's murderer. I have been driven nearly mad by it, ar.d have several times felt inclined to go and commit suicide. I have never been happy since I did it, and I thought that tho only rtst I could get, or the only way of making my mind easier would be to cotfeßßit all." Evison, it appears, went up to Constable Forbes in the street at Hamilton en Sunday morning, and said to bim quite calmly, •'I want you to lock me op." Forbea asked tbe man to come into the middle of the street, as there were a number of persons close by, and then a«ked Evison why he wanted to be locked up. " I caused the death of a girl in England in 1852," he replied. The constable took the mt.n to the police station, and subsequently took down hi« statement. It seems Evison had beenb c en euffetiug recioise for bii selfconfe3ied crime for many years. He was on several occasions eeen crying as if in eonae trouble by Hamilton residents, and according to his owa statement he could get no rest. It is not thought that he is of unjound mind. At any rate the constable who arrested him considers him quits s*ne. A COINCIDENCE. In connection with the confession by Evifion, tbe following giugukr coincidence has taken place. Ahmti Ihe same tioae that the story from Hamilton rea(h°d Auckland there came a number of Australian papers, in one of which — the Ausfralian Star— appears a cablegram eta*ing that a man in London has been arrested under almost precisely the stme circumstances. The cablegram is as follows:—" London, M»y 3.— A guardsman named Wright has been arrested on his own confession on a charge of having caused the death of a woman under extraordinary circumstances. The story told by Wright is to the effect that he was having a drink when a wtmtn tccoitsd him, and he pushed her into the T hvnes. No further particulars are j eb available."