CONCLUSION OF THE INQUEST. VERDICT OF MURDER. CHRISTCHURCH, October 23.
The inquest touching the death of Alice Edith Newman, who was shot dead in the Silver Grid on Monday night, was resumed before Mr W. 11. Haeelden. i coroner, and a jury of six this morning, t Roberts was again in court in charge - of two constabes. ! Constable Evans said that on the 19th inst. he was searching for Roberts in the Prebbleton district. On arrival at the Prebbleton Hotel, about 11.30 a.m., he quietly entered the bar. Roberts wae ' there, leaning on the counter writing a | letter. Roberts put the letter in his pocket. Witne.-s put his hand in J Roberts's pocket and found a revolver (produced) loaded in six chambers. Wit- I ness took the revolver and ammunition, i He handcuffed Roberts, and then charged j him with the murder of Alice Newman. | Roberts repliad : " You've got the wrong j man this time."' A few minutes later >. Roberts took the letter (produced), which J he had been writing, from his pocket j and threw it behind him. Witness ' picked it up, and Roberts asked him to j destioy it. Roberts then took another i letter (produced) from his pocket and tore . it in half. He again asked witness to destroy them as they would do him harm. The coroner then read the two letters i to the jury, who afterwards examined • them. The first letter, which was ad- ' dressed " Dear Mr Burns," was as fol- ■ low s :—: — j " Excuse me for writing you these ] few lines, but I could not live without • Alice. lam taking my own life now, j and I am sorry I did not take that , — life who was trying to do me out of it. We have a child, and I hope you will get fornebodv to look after it. If it had been n-ear us at the time I would have done for the good litt'e chap rather than see him homeless in this world. Might. God forgive me for doing such a thing, but I could not see her messing aiound other fellows, so. Mr Burns, you might do me a favour by letting my people know ' about this sad thing. Write to Mrs Sinclair, 47 Ure stieet. Govan. Glasgow." The letter bore the Hgnatur-o " A Roberts," which, however, had been deleted. The p-econd letter was in the form of a poem, and was written on the bai k of a letter to Roberts from his mother in Glasgow. It was as follows :—": — " Whoever* find-a this, send it Home to ivy mother. Dear Mother. — I cannot live without her However much I try: When I think of our troubles How bitterly I cry. I think it will be better. When underneath the c'av, ! When our fouls me-st together 1 In that bright land for aye."' The letter was signed : " Your biokenhearted eon." Continuing his evidence. Constable Evans paid he found a box of cailiidpes on accused. At 0.10 p.m. the jury retired, and an hour later returned with the following \erdiet :—": — " That the said Alice Edith Newman died at Christchurch on October 18, 1909, from a bullet wound inflicted by Arthur John Wilson Roberts, and that the said Arthur John Wil-on Roberts did murder the said Alice Edith Newman." Roberta vi'l appear at t'nc Magistrate's C'ouit next Wednesday on a charge of murd-er.
Four-year courses in aeronautics will shortly bo started by the Northampton Institute, ClerkenwelL
CONCLUSION OF THE INQUEST. VERDICT OF MURDER. CHRISTCHURCH, October 23.
Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 62
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