A CHARGE OF MURDER. AUCKLAND January 6.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 28

A CHARGE OF M URDER. AUCKLAND January 6.

The inquest on Mrs Dillon had to be i adjourned till Saturday, _ owing~~ to ~the •witnesses not appearing. .The police have been instructed to ensure the attendance of several persons. .It" is alleged that the dition in which the body^and clothes of the dead woman were found affords^ indications of an attempt to commit' a criminal assault., •It. is' supposed that the. deceased succumbed) to shock, induced by violent v usage. * Dr Dalziel made a post mortem examination, Aufc his reports will not.be made till ■ Saturday. - Murton, . who is -charged with" manslaughter and remanded, is a ' .powerfully- ,', built young man, -32 years of Age, latelyemployed- on one'" of the steamers - plying >j "on the Waikato. He Has also worked at " flaxmills. Mrs Dillon was an old lady, apparently between 55 and 60 years "of age. ±L"er husbancl, John Dillon, served in the • Waikato war ac one of the Imperial Regiment, and is now residing in Auckland, he \ and his wife haying been separated for \ some few- years past. Mr" and' Mrs Dillon : _ formerly kept ,the old Mercer Hotel. " . - , ' . MERCER, January 7. The inquest -ou Mrs Dillon, wife of John IDillon, was resumed* tp-day.- Dr . Dalziel deposed that he found the carpet and other • articles disarranged, and signs that pereons 3iad been drinking. • Deceased's body was on a couch covered by a < Her undergarments wero torn, and the body was inflamed and - abrased, but .there | was no sign of further assault, except that the left arm bore the deep" impression of four fingers near the elbow.- The impression' was made I>y Email finger-marks. They were those of it. male hand, being too broad for a woman's 1 ~Qngers. Mr Baume, solicitor for the accused, suggested that Murton should show his hand, which was huge. Detective M'llve&ey said that more 4han one man' Jiad hold of deceased .that day. Dr Dalziel, replying to _the coroner, said ,that accused's hand would make a larger impression.. After further discussion the coroner said the jury . -must be convinced that Murton's hand was too large to fit .the marks, on deceased's arm; and that death- was caused by heart failure, the result of fear or exertion. The mystery of a. man's hand-prints discovered on deceased's arm was cleared up by the evidence of Harry Thomas Gillie 3, Haxmill owner-, who stated -that on the day -of the death of Mrs Dillon he was asked to go in and see her as she was very ill. Ho found the woman very ill, and, according to fier statement, she had been on short food three days. She was retching violently, fend he assisted to lift her up' on a couch /whilst she was vomiting. In doing so he -took hold of her arm, and he had no doubt ihat his band caused the marks. Dr Dal|siel, on examining GiUies's hand, said that •It was of the size that would have caused >he marks, and, no doubt, it was the hand. Continuing his evidence, Dr Dalziel said ,'jthat as the result of the post mortem ■examination he found evidence of heart "disease, -and, in his opinion, death was by heart failure, /brought about 'either by fear or exertion." By exertion, he Wd, he mefcnfc that whioh would be en- j jtailed by resisting an assault; but the exertion of violenf retching might also cause ""death. The evidence of two other men who Jviaited the \hous© on the same day and inoticed the illness of deceased was taken. *The~ v jury returned' a verdict— " That deceased died through heart failure brougit About by excessive excitement caused by as'sauli."- ' 1 Murton was then Brought before Mr JSwing, J.Fi, and (the previous charge of manslaughter having been withdrawn) he V»s charged with the murder of Mrs Dillon, %nd remanded till friiay next.