The Allanton Tragedy.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11934, 7 April 1902, Page 1

The Allanton Tragedy.

« EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. An inquest touching the death of Mrs Annie Sinnott, whose remainswere found in the debris' of her house at AUanton, Otago, destrojed by fire, was held last week. The doctors' evidence described the position of the fork in the heart . Both declared that the appearances* were consistent with the theory that the woman was 1 stabbed before death. John Currie, said the deceased was of intemperate habits. The accused,. Sweeney i lived with her ofi! and" on. Witness, saw Sweeney about five minutes before the fire broke out, going towards his own house. He turned u;p all the fire, and charged a vm'an nairxedjFinnie- . ,Wjl(4> having) sot fire to the house. Sweeney was slightly the worse for liquor The deceased woman - was of good figure, and had been -a fine' looking woman. Another witness deposed to having heard quarrels between Sweeney and Sinnott. David Finnic deposed that he had known deceased last year. During, that time she had sometimes 1 lived alone, sometimes accused resided! with her. On the evening of the fire witness Saw Sweeney, who was under theinifiuence of liquor, come up from the direction of deceased's house. In March, 1896,- Sweeneyi struck witness and said Mrs Sinnott was keeping him. When the fire j was on, Sweeney said to witness 1 , /"You old ,• it (was you that jset fire to the house." Antoni V&lcnski, butcher, of Allanton, his wife, Rosalea Cleft, and others testified- to seeing Sweeney outside! deceased's house "before the fire, and that 'subsequently he denied been: at the place. He was the worse for drink and had a clot of blood ,on his face. Albert Brocket, labourer, stated that on the night of the fire he met Sweeney, who' appeared under the. influence of drink, and walked along the road, with him. Witness' brother 1 then passed them, and' told them that Mrs Sinnott's house was; on fire Sweeney said, " Oh, my God," after he got to the fire. Thomas Ha-tchfaa-d said, he gave Sweeney a shakedown some months ago, when thej latter told him that he had been turned- out. He said he saw Jacob Switalla misconducting hi,tnself -with the deceased, and' he took his pocket knife and intended to rip the man up, when . the woman met him and stopped him. Witness had asked him if he made that statement toy the detectives on the morning after the fire, and he said he did not ' remember, as -he was drunk at the time. AVmie -Hatchford saijd she was a visitor to the deceased's house about half-past six on the day before the fire. Sweeney was there. Mrs Sinnott brought home two. bottles of beer, and Switalla came w^ith a bottle of whisky. They were . drinking but there was no quarrelling. Jacob ■ Switalla said he arrived at Allanton from Oainaru, on March ;20. He had known the deceased for about eight years, and Sweeney for about 19. lie called on Mrs Sinnot • between eight and nine p,'clock on\ the n-ght of March 25, taking a bottle of whisky with him. Sweeney was there, and asked witness what he was doing) there. They passed the evening together. Sweeney got more whisky. Deceased went to -the bedroom about half-past ten, Sweeney followed, and there was a scuffle the room. - He heard the deceased scream, and he went to the door and saw Sweeney holding* her up by the arm. Witness told Sweeney to leave her alone. Sweeney replied -that witness had no business interfering, and told him to clear "out. Sweeney was on bad terms with witness over him going there. Arthur Ede7 laborer, gave evidence that Sweeney went to his place late on the night of the fire. He Said he was too frightened to go home. Witness saw him to his hut, but Sweeney did not go in. Cons-table Carmody, in his evidence said, as he was removing the body Sweeney came up and said, " Dear old girl." As he was under the influence of liquor witness pushed him away. In reply to questions. Sweeney had said he had not seen Mrs Sinnott since the night before the fire, and later on Sweeney repeated that he had not seen deceased on the night' of the fire. He told witness of Switalla being at the house, and that drinking had been going on, and said that he and Switalla quarrelled about Mrs) Sinnott. After the quarrel Switalla left, and accused; said he left shortly, after Sweeney, He said he had not seen Mrs Sinnott after. After- that witness got more information, and afterwards arrested Sweeney, and then warned him when he said he could not say, more than he ha^d said already. Detective Cooney gave evidence, and the coroner summed up. The jury, after a retirement,, returned a verdict that the cause of death was by deceased's having- been stabbed in the heart with a fork, the house having) been at the same time set on fire, but that there was no cvi dence to show by whom. Sweeney was brought back to Dunedin in custody.