A Murderer's Confession

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6147, 20 August 1891, Page 2

A Murderer's Confession

Colston, who has been found guilty of '< the murder of a man named Davis and ! his wife, at Narbethong, Victoria, has written a remarkable story giving particulars of th© crime, concluding as follows : — 1 " I admit I made a great mess of it, for I might have shot them with my revolver instead of hacking fchom about so, if I had thought of it ; or if I had hidden Davis and set fire to the houso it would have made a cleaner job, and not lefb bo much for people to horrorise over. ' But there, if I had thought if all these things, I should have gone away by the coach instead of fooling around as £ did. I have to face the consequences of my folly. Nor can I honestly say I am sorry, for if a snake had bitten me I should have killed it, and that is how I feel aboub them, and should have forgotten it by now only I am so constantly reminded of it here, and to anyone that knew the old woman it would seem tho enrth was well rid of such a venomous old libeller, who could do more harm with her tongue than I could do with an axe. In fact I have often heard neighbours say she ought to be burnt. And yet Ik seems strange to me sometimes that I do not; fool differently about it. I do not think thafc murder is justifiable in the settlement of all qaarrols, for thafe would soon make a hash of all things and leave only cowards ; bufc I believe there are times when human beings, like other animate, can no move control themselves than they can help being alive, and under certain provocation are justified in taking the life of another who intends to make life a hell to them, or infliot an injury which to some peopla would be worse than

death," =======s=:==:^^ Th© Labour party in New South Wales has decided that any office of emolument cannot be taken by any of the party during the present Parliament.