WESTLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3904, 21 October 1880, Page 3

WESTLAND.

[from ouh own coehespondent.j C- T , OCfc ' Uisince 1 lust wrote, the principal event here has been the examination of David Hutchison for the murder of his wife and infant, child, by setting fire to his houee at Kanieri You have been informed bj telegraph of the principal points in the evidence, but it may be aa well to state in a compendious form the substance of tvhat has been brought out during the investigation. ° Your readers will remember that on Sept. 21, early in the morning, a two-roomed cottago in the occupation of Hutchison whs discovered to bo on fire. On some of the neighbours reaching the place, they found Hutchison and four of his children outside, having made their escape through the window of the bedroom in which they slept. Hutchison, it is important to remember, was fully dressed, having on coat, hat, trousers, arid boots. When a3ked where his wife was, he said in the kitchen, where it appears she habitually elept. To Inspector Kiely, when reporting the fire, Hutchison stated that he had endeavoured to wake his wife, and had tried to pull her off the stretcher on which she lay asleep, but could not Bucceed. Ho told the same tale to the neighbours who flocked round, and at the inquest. He explained hid having saved- the gun by saying that the strap by which it was tied up, over the door, must have been burnt through, and that it had ful'.-n on his shoulder. When Hutchison ropurled the fire to Inspector Eielv he said nothing about the pun, but stated that ho had "saved nothing from the house but a couple of pair of blankets." After suspicion was aroused, ho told Detective Quinn that "if ho told Inspector Eiely that he saved nothing but a pair of blankets he must hava mads a mistake " As a fact, he saved from the room whore his wife and child were burnt, the gun which hung over the door, a pair of trousers which hung near the fireplace, a spring balance which was kept opposite the door, and the bag of food which had been deposited on the floor in a corner adjoining the bedroom, in which the other children slept. The most horrible part of the tragedy took place after the four eldfr children had been rescued from the fire, by passing them through the bedroom-window on to the verandah. Ike eldest girl, eleven years old, said — "After I was put out of the window by my father, I heard the halt/ crying inside ;. it was crying when my father broke open the door. Mi/ brother Jack told father to take the little baby tip; my father said nothing, but went' and got the axe." The possibilities conveyed by these simple artless words, if they be uncontradicted, makes one shudder for human nature. The boy referred to as her brother Jack corroborated his sister's testimony. He says,." Ho put us all out of the window. Before I went out I heard the baby ory 5 I heard it when I was outside." So that, as the case Btands,pmM« facie, the accused could save his gun from one side of the rooui, his trousers from another side, the spring balance and bag of food from a third side, and leave fcho room by the door in> the fourth side,, and thus go round into every part of. the room, and : leave an infant of four months' old to bo burnt to death !: It is sickening to contemplate the possibility of such an atrocity. Other witnesses described how the body of the wife was found burnt so that the whole of the limbs, the greater part of the head,.and a. large portion of the trunk, were completely charred, and crumbled into ashes on being touched. Two female witnesses deposed to injuries inflicted on the deceased by hoc husband of such a shocking and revolting character, that they cannot he fully described in print. Buflice it to say that one of them deposed that a day or two before the fire, the deceased had shown her the mark of tho heel of a boot on her stomach, saying, " See what that black devil has done to me!" The prisoner is a very dark man. On another occasion, when the deceased was three months advanced in pregnancy, she was kicked in the most violent manner,' until blood came. One of the witnesses, Mrs Elder, burst into tears when describing the horrible injuries that had been inflicted on this most unhappy woman. Tho body of the infant was found entirely charred and carbonized. After all the witnesses had been examined, a most extraordinary, and I am informed, unprecedented scene took place. Mr Giles, tho Resident Magistrate who had been presiding during the whole of tho inquiry, and had taken down the evidence, Blepped down from tho Bench, went into the witness box, was sworn, and gave his evideneo against tho prisoner. He then went baok to tho Bench, listened to the remarks of Mr Purkiss, the prisoner's counsel, retired with the other Justices to consider their decision, and returning into Court, committed tho prisoner to take his trial on a charge of murder. Tho evidence given by Mr Giles was partly of a formal charnct er, putting in and proving the depositions sworn before him as Coroner, and partly as a member of the College of Surgeons, with reference to the condition of the bodies. On being sworn, he deposed "I am a Coronor for the Colony, and a member of tho Eoyal College of Surgeons, of London." This most unusual proceeding has, as may be imagined, excited very much remark, and the more so as the depositions could easily havo been proved by someone else. Whether it will vitiate all the proceedings, of course only high legal authorities can decide. It is to be hoped, in theiutJfaijfca of justice, th*t it may bo brought under *Wl notice of tho At-torney-General, co that further proceedings may be takon, if tho committal is void, or illegal. It is difficult to describe the horror this dreadful cafe bus inspired in tho public mind. That the woman was a bad character cannot bo denied, but that her husband was equally bad was proved by the evidence given as to the atrocious assaults committed upon her. Very Btrong evidonce was given against him by a mate of Hutchison's, who deposed that at about half-paßt eleven, "ho heard a woman shriek, and a kind of choking sound followed. * * * When I got to my own place I heard a noise again, aa if there was a scrambling on the boards. I listened for a bit, and everything was quiet again, so I went inside. I lit the candle and saw it was about 25 minutes to 12. Soon after that I heard a noiso again, rs if furniture was being shifted. I went to n>3 T buck window. I heard Mrs Hutchison say " Davy, Davy, what are you going to do ?" I heard again some noise, as of a ecuflle, and then there was quietnoes. The scuillo continued about a niinuto or so. I went outside nnd heard a man coming along the track. He passed between my house and Hutchison's. I believed the man ts be Harker, a miner who lived iv tho flat. I then caw a light in Hutchison's house. I did not go out for the purpoao of reconnoitring. When I buw tho light, I wentinto my bedroom, when I thought I heard the baby crying. I went to my back window, facing tho track, and thought 1 hctml a noise of thuds again; tho noiso ceased quickly, and I went to "bed. I omitted to say Hint I heard before I went out a noise as ol' 11 boot coming into contact with tho aides of the house, and subsequently several thuds, as it' some softer objecb was struck. 1 thought the prisoner was beating his wife. I went to bed at 12 o'clock. I lived near tho Hutchisons three or four months; I heard disputes and quarrels between tho prisoner and deceased ; I thought, somtt/n'ni/ serious ircis 1/o,'ng on ; I thought at the lime the woman's life might be in dav.qvr, but I did not carp about interfering ; afterwards I was eorry £ did not go." It will be observed that Mr Keardon's view of his duties as ;i man is not a very lofty one. "He thought at the time tho woman's life might be in danger, but ho did not care about intetfesir-g!" As iL'le.-raphod to you, the Wesflaml T»s!itute declined to join in the address to Charles Darwin. There W'is v. vory small attendance of members, and several gentlemen who might, have been expected to take a part in the diselusion were absent. l)r JJ^kencll, who proposed thai the offices of tho Institute? should bo requested to si^ri the address on behalf of the li.aJ.il lit 0, was not, very enthusiastic on !hs rd.jet. He "avowed that it was only' nftcr much hesitation ho hud ivrrivi-d at the conehirion tliut though the address was not exactly what lie could have wished, yot it might hu tinned without, involving any positive profession of faith in the rtoetrino ot evolution. He considered evolution r.ot proven, and tho expressions in (ho uddress somewhat exaggerated, still, he w.'.s )uvp:ired t-j sign it, rather than the compliment to ;i nrui m eminent us Mr Darwin, should not. be jv.Ul us gracefully as possible. Air (iilr3 moved un amendment-, very complimentary to Mr Darwin as a man of eminence in sdor.ro, and styling "Tho Origin of Species" " an cpoeh-inurking work," but doc-lining to ugno to tho undress jHe mudo two vory Ull4 Bitches on 'the sil'j-H, Bud ff ffc ver JJi-.lj ;•„,,

for anyone else to speak. Really E.M.g Bhould be a little merciful ; one does not like i..0 enub tliem or offend them, because one nrver knows when one may fall into their clutches, but they should remember this when they make long speeches. Wo do not live to the age of feven or eight hundred now a days. Ultimately the amendment wa» carried by a majority of 9, three only voting against ib. I hope that when the news reaches England it will be broken to Mr Darwin gently. He is an old man, and the shock of the intel- , ligence, communicated abruptly, might prove fatal -a result I am sure we should i egret. rr, Oct. 14. IJie schooner Annie Wilson is being launched; she is quite uninjurrd. The process of launching will, if the" weather be favourable, take about a week. Sho lias to 'bo dragged about 2000 ft from the pi. ice where she struck, bf-fcro she can be sent into the water.. The County Council is sitting. It has considered the request of the Harbour Board (hat a special m.i c of 4d in the £ maybe struck to pay interest and sinking fund on the Harbour Board Loan, and it has resolved to confer with the other bodies who have been asked tostrike a rate, viz, the Boroughs of HokitikajKuniara and Ross. Ivery much doubt whether this rate will bo struck. It is too much like the old farm wife's cry, " Ducky, ducky,, ducky, come and be killed ! " But the ducky would not go to be killed. Awriter who signs himself "P/incipiis Obßta," in one of the local journals* says that no rate ought to be struck until the Harbour Board will purchase a tug. But if a tug was purchased by the Harbour Board, what would become of the Waipara ? She would heve to get now boilers into her ! Now the Chairman of the Harbour Board is the owner of the Waij>ara. Therefore it is not to be expected that the Board will purchase a tug. Wherefore " Prinoipiis Obsta" and that excessively disagreeablo person who writes the Weetland letters in the Li/ttellon Times, should be , well, we will m t say what should be done to them. The Lynch I? ilringers have been here, and drawn very good houses. Being entirely ignorant of m sic, I enjoyed myself yerv much, and was particularly amused by the Chinete danoersj.but people who are musical critics tell me that I ought not to have enjoyed myself, that the Binging was bad, and the bells were put of tune Now, I thought tke bells delightful, particularly the chimes, which reminded me of Home, and the singing very fair. But I have often found the advantage of that erase ignorance _of art with which my oosthetic friends reproach mo. I think the Lj riches do well to have no ladies in their company. It put* all the women on their side. They say that they are " bucli nice, handeome, gentlemanly, young men !" Wilh such opinions as those in their favour they may defy the critics. Everybody who has been down South hasheard with great regret of the death by drowning of Mr Andrew Bobs, the well-known and universally liked keeper of the Mikonui ferry. He wao an old eailor of the Royal Navy, and was most kind and obliging to all travellers, and f>i,l of good yarns. As you will have heard> by telegraph, a pick-eaddle got loose on the hor<-o he was riding while crossing the Mikomu in a fresh.