THE AMBERLEY MURDER

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 20

THE AMBERLEY MURDER

A FIENDISH CHIME.

OUTRAGED AND JVIURDERED. Christchurch, April 29.

Miss Lawcock, who was murdered yesterday near Amberley, was 16 years of age, a quiet, unassuming young woman, and lived with her mother, who is a widow and occupies a farm on Douglass road, about a mile or a mile and a-half west of Amberiev.

It had been Miss Lawcock's custom daily to go into Amberley for letbers and papers, and at 11 a.m. yesterday she left her home for that purpose. As the distance was not great, and Mrs Lawcock knew nothing special to detain her daughter, she became very anxious about her when at 3 o'clock in the afternoon she had not returned. Mrs Lawcock made inquiries among friends and neighbours, but, the result only tending to increase her anxiety, she next communicated with Constable Roche, who is stationed at Amberley. He immediately organised a search party of six men, and at 430 p.m. commenced operations. An hour later they found the young lady's broken parasol among some trees near a thick gorse bush, about five chains on tbe west side of the Kowai River bed, and upon moving the gorse they discovered the body of Miss Lawcock under it. The body was rigid, death having taken place some time previously, and tbe throat was very deeply cut. The body was placed in charge of the police pending the inquest which will bg held

A strong party of police went to Amberley from the adjoining districts, and the Christchurch police were notified of the affair ; and about 9 o'clock last night Inspector Broham, with Detectives Benjamiu, Maddern, and Marsack, and Mounted Constable Shepperd, left by special train for the scene of the tragedy, where a close search is to be made for the supposed murderer.

Constable Roche arrested a man at Waikari last night on suspicion of being concerned in the murder of Miss Lawcock. The man arrested gives his name as Hugh Fraser, 22 years of age, a native of Reef ton, on the Wesb Coswt. He was seen in the neighbourhood of the soene of the murder at the hour ah which it is supposed the murder was committed.

The spot where the body was tound is hardly more than half a mile from the towuship, and beside one of tbe main roads leading to Kangiora. Beside the road, on Mr Douglass's property, there is a long plantation ol pine trees, devoid ot undergrowth. Next the road there is an open wire fence, and about half a chain inside this a gorse fence, which had been recently trimmed. Between the pines there is » footpath, and it is likely tbat the girl was walking along this when attacked. The girl was tall and delicate, and it is supposed that when she was attacked by the murderer, whose object was evidently outrage, she fainted, and was completely at his mercy. This supposition was borne out by the fact that there was no blood on her hands. When the body was found the clothes were disarranged, and the upper part was covered with gorse which had been trimmed from the fenco. A young man named William Dwan, who was working about 300 yards from the spot at the time the crime was supposed to hare been committed, heard no sound.

This morning Inspector Broham and Detectives Benjamin, Maddern, and Mariack, and Constables Roche and Johnston made a thorough search in the hope of finding evidence, but were not able to discover anything of importance. Constable Roche hearing that a man, whom he had met in the afternoon near Glascevin when on his way from Waikari, had been seen near the scene of the crime at the time it was supposed to have been committed, started for Waikari immediately after the body had been taken to the Railway Hotel. Ho reached the township about half-past 9, and found the man he was in search of at the Star and Garter Hotel, where he had obtained a shakedown for the night. He at once arrested him. The man remarked • that he had made a mistake. The man, who gave his name as Hugh Fraser, is 22 years of age. He was dressed in a dark coat and vest, blue serge trousers, and soft felt hat, all his garments being the worse for wear. He is smoothfaced, and has an enlargement of the throat, which is very prominent. He stated that he was a native of the West Coast.

This morning he was subjected to a thorough examination by Dr Fitzheury for any traces of struggle upon his body or limbs. It is known that he called at Mr R. Parsons's place, near the plantation, and obtained some sugar just before 11 o'clock, and he was seen at the plantation a little later. The girl would, from the time she left her mother's house, a quarter of a mile away, have been at this spot at the same hour. These faots are all that is known at present reconnect the man with the crime. In his pocket was found a white-handled knife, with which the crime might have been committed. The blade and handle showed clean under the microscope, but inside the handle there was a clot of Eomething very much like blood.

At noon to-day Dr Fitzhenry made an examination of the body of the victim, and the injuries showed that the murder had been fiendish and determined. Eight wounds were found, four being in the throat. There was a deep punctured wound on the right side of the mouth and a contueed wound on the left side. There were several incisions on the lefn and right ears ; there was a sfcab three-quarters of an inch in width over the region of the heart. The front of the girl's dress must have been open when this stab was made, as the cut was only through the corset and underlinen. There was clear evidence that the victim had been outraged.

The inquest has been fixed for 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, and Fraser has been remanded until 10 o'clock on Saturday.