The Castletown Roche Murder Case.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5192, 24 December 1884, Page 3

The Castletown Roche Murder Case.

♦ — = — THE POLICE COTJET ENQUIRY. HOW SHEEHAN WA2 WATCHED. [Special to the " Stab."] AUCKLAND, Dec. 24. At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs F. M'Guire and W. E. Waddell, William Sheehan was charged with the Castletown Koche murders. Mr W. J. INapier appeared for the defendant. THE INSMKfrOB'S STORY. Inspector Thompson said: In this case, your -Worships, I may state that the preBent proceedings hare been taken under the 16th section of the second part of. the Fugitive Offenders' Act of 1881, which.was passed by the Imperial Government' in 1881, and brought into force in this Colony by Proclamation of the Governor on Oct. 31 last. The circumstances connected with the arrest of the prisoner are briefly these : — On Nov. 2 last I received intimation from the head of the Department in Wellington that a cablegram had come to hand from Earl Derby, requesting the police of the Colony to keep under supervision one William Sheehan, who it was supposed had come to New Zealand with his family, as he was suspected of murder. In consequence of this intimation I took steps to ascertain his whereabouts and place him under supervision. From further information I received, I believed him to be in the Bay of Islands district, and I accordingly despatched thither Constable Herbert, from Thames, as he was unknown in the North. He proceeded there in the disguise of a gum-digger, with a, swag, billy, and gum spear, and after being there a day or two he ascertained prisoner's whereabouts. He was found to be working for tho Hon Henry Williams at Pakaraka. Herbert obtained work on a road contract close by, in order that he should have the prisoner under close supervision. It appeared that he was under engagement for a term of 12 months; and at the expiration of the term, which was then near at hand, he came down to Auckland. He had previously intimated his intention of going on to Sydney, and therefore increased vigilance was rendered necessary here. As soon as his arrival here had been made known, he was placed under strict supervision, which was maintained, quite unknown to himself, night and day. I had a written report supplied to me every morning, giving information of his movements from the tone he made his appearance in the morning until he blew out hi 3 candle at night. About a fortnight ago, he

entered into negotiations with a man named Burgess for the purchase of a small farm in the Waitakerei ranges. A bargain was struck, and he took possession a week later. All I could do meanwhile was to maintain a supervision over him, as I had no instructions to arrest him unless he were leaving the Colony. As a means of providing against this, Detective Walker some time ago la d an information before the Resident Magistrate, and obtained a provisional warrant to airest him under the section already mentioned, and enabling us to hold the prisoner until the arrival of the • endorsed warrant and duly authenticated documents to authorise his conveyance td ! the country within which the alleged crime ; was committed. On Sunday last I was j directed to effect the arrest as soon as possible. Accordingly, I proceeded yesterday to Waikomaiti, with Detectives Walker and Twohey ,- and Detective Walker, by virtue of the provisional warrant, arrested tbe prisoner. Without going into the details of the murder, which I suppose are now familiar to most persons, I may say i that the circumstances of the alleged I murder are briefly these : — On Oct. 17, 1877, prisoner's mother, Kate Sheehon, his brother, Thomas Sbeehan, and his sister, Hannah Sbeehan, suddenly and somewhat mysteriously disappeared from their farm, which adjoined the prisoner's farm. From what the prisoner stated at the time it was generally understood that prisoner's relatives had gone to America, and nothing more was thought of the matter until the early part of September last, when the remains of three human beings, two women and a man, were found in a well on an adjoining farm, about half a mile from the house formerly occupied by prisoner's missing relatives. The police have since then been investigating the matter, and eventually such evidence wa3 obtained as to justify them in issuing a warrant for prisoner's arrest on the charge of murdering the three persons. In 9onnection with this, I understand that a detective officer, armed with a warrant, ,is now on his way hither 5 and if he has not yet arrived in the Colony, he is expected daily, tinder the provisions, of this Act I have now •to apply for a. remand for the usual term of eight days, pending the arrival of the warrant "issued by the Imperial authorities. In further justification of my application, I may state that prisoner, after being: duly cautioned, admitted that he was William Sheehan, that he had lived at Castletown Esche; in County Cork, and that his mother, brother and sister had gone to America. It seemed to be a relief to him to talk, after the surprise of the arrest was over, and THE STATEMENT HE THEN MADE WAS AS FOLLOWS I " I came from Fermoy. •My mother Kate, my brother Tom, and my 6ister Hannah, loft on a car about that time for Fermoy. The farm was six miles from Castletown Eoche, and 12 from Lismore. They bade me good day when they were leaving. They said they were going to Fermoy. They had spoken before about going to America; but I did not know they were going there. I never saw or heard of them after that. I did not kill them. We always lived on good terms. We had 60 acres of land, rented from Miss Oliphant, at £2 per acre. She waa a hard landlady. If she had been married, may be I would be there yet. We had a servant called Mary Reiley; she was out for the cows when they left in the car. Ido not know who was the driver. It was a Derby car. Deane -was at home at the time ; it was between 11 and 12 o'clock in the morning. They had told me they were going to America to stsby about a fortnight, and come back again. Broderick's farm was the second farm from ours. I know the well on it ; it was 40ft or 50ft deep. It was a mile and a-half from our house to the well. My brothers John, James, and Edward are still in Ireland. The farm has never had a tenant since I left it. I had a letter from home about six months ago. If Deane knew anything, he could not keep it so long as this ; he would let it out in five minutes. I waa married to Mary Ann Bro»vn in November, seven years ago. My mother never was against my marrying her." ) That is about all that it is necessary for mo to state on the present occasion, and if your Worships think it necessary to put Detective Walker in the box to prove the arrest, it can be done. I understand that Mr Napier, who appears for the prisoner, does not object to a remand. Mr Napier, while offering no objection to the application made by Superintendent Thomson, pointed out to the Bench that this information had simply been laid by Detectivo Walker. TJpon hearing the evidence, however, he did not intend to raise any objection . on this ground. Prisoner was anxious to clear himself 'from tEe charges. He had not changed his name, and he had made no effort to conceal hia identity. The circumstances, therefore, went to show that he was an innocent man. Pending the arrival of the warrant, however, he had to apply for prisoner's liberation on bail, Mr Napier went on to urge that the liberty of any man, however humble, was sacred, and that it should not lightly be interfered with. Superintendent Thompson strenuously opposed the application, pointing out as he" did so that it was neither strange nor exceptional. It would be both strange and exceptional however, were the man liberated. The Bench then remanded the prisoner to Dec. 31 to appear before the E.M.