FEARFUL TRAGEDY IN NELSON GAOL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1128, 31 July 1883, Page 3

FEARFUL TRAGEDY IN NELSON GAOL.

About 6 a.m, last Saturday, John Davidson—who it will be remembered was sentenced to penal servitude for life for the manslaughter of one Denis Quinliran, at Lyell, in the house of a woman namid Mary Gramatica—killed the warder in charge of him, and also killed himself. Davidson since his conviction had behaved so well that lie was allowed great liberties. He broke into the guard-room with a tomahawk, took a couple of loaded revolvers, and killtd Warder John Adams by stabbing him in the back of the head and abdomen. The evidence of Shallcrass, the gaoler, is as follows : —“ At ten minutes past six in the morning lie heard a scream, and on entering the corridor was met by Davidson, who stood eight paces off with a revolver in his right hand. Davidson said ‘lf you come another step, I’ll shoot you.’ Davidson also told him to open the door, but he refused, whereupon Davidson again threatened to fire unless he did it. Shallcrass then commenced reasoning with and threatening Davidson, and managed to start him off talking about his grievances, Mrs Shallcrass entered the corridor, and she asked Davidson where Adams was, to which the convict replied ‘ Oh, he’s all right.’ They went on parleying for about five minutes, when Shallcrass told Davidson that he could shoot him, and Davidson replied ‘l’ll be d—d, I’m shot.’ Shallcrass said ‘ I would rather you take your own life than I should do so.’ Davidson repeatedly put his revolver to his own head. After about 35 minutes, Chief Warder White came on the scene, and commenced to expostulate with Davidson, until at length Davidson drew back to the wall, placed the revolver to his mouth and pulled the trigger, but the cap snapped, He then examined the revolver again, put it to his head, fired, and fell dead. Shallcrass then rushed up to see where Adams was, and found him lying dead in the yard. He had a wound in the back of his head, another in the neck and the back, and a frightful wound in the abdomen, from which his intestines were protruding. Davidson had been employed as cook since May 18th, and was always very orderly and obliging. He agreed with everyone and never showed signs of mental aberration. It was the duty of Adams to call Davidson to light fires, etc. Davidson had access to knives, and a long butcher’s knife was picked up beside Davidson’s body. Adams’s coat was in the yard, and Davidson appeared to hare searched it for keys, as a key was found in the gate between the yard and the garden, but it was the key of an inner door, and would not open the gate. During bis conversation with Davidson, Shallcrass says Davidson drew back for & minute after threatening him if he moved, and then returned with two revolvers, The revolvers were kept in the armory, which was a cupboard within the officers’room, to which Davidson had access. A panel of this cupboard was broken. Two chambers of one revolver had been discharged, and one in the other. Davidson was to have been removed to Wellington, and had not the s.s, Wallace been detained by bad weather, would have sailed. He did not appear to like the idea of going to Wellington, and said if he had gone he would have jumped overboard. Shallcrass told him to lay down the revolver, and then he could jump overboard. An inquest was held, at which a verdict of wilful murder against Davidson in the case of Adams and felo de se in the case of Davidson was returned t