THE AMBERLEY TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5861, 1 May 1897, Page 6

THE AMBERLEY TRAGEDY.

» MAGISTERIAL ENQUIRY. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. At the close of the coroner's inquest the Magisterial inquiry was commenced, before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M. William Fitzhenry, medical practitioner at Amberley, stated that he was called to see the body in the plantation. He described its position. There seemed to be no great tearing of the clothes. The neck of the dress was open and disarranged. Noticed several wounds in the throat! Life was extinct, and rigor mortis had set in. The body was taken charge of by. the police. Next morning witness made a superficial examination at the request of the police. He found tho following wounds : —An incised wound across the* 'throat at the junction of the trachea and larynx, cutting through the cartilage, also severing the largo vessels of the neck. The superficial extent was three inches. The wound was deeper at its right extremity, shading off somewhat at its other end. It gaped greatly, and was full of clotted blood. This was of the nature of a slash or clean cut across tho throat. Above and a little to the right was a second wound, in superficial extent an inch and a half, and separated from the larger wound near its right extremity by a narrow strip of skin. It communicated below with the larger wound. This was more of the nature of a stab. Above this there was a third wound of a superficial nature, almost parallel with the others and separated about a third of an inch from the large wound. There was a fourth wound, simply an abrasion, below and to the right side of the large wound, and similar to the second and separated in the samb way. It was probably a stab. There was a punctured wound higher up the neck, below and about the middle of the lower jaw on the right side. It was three-quarters of an inch in superficial measurement, and entered deeply into the tissues. A contused wound was on the upper lip, on the left side, near the angle of the mouth. This was the result of a blow against tho teeth. There was a lacerated wound on the edge of the left ear, separating the skin from the cartilage, the tissues being torn as far as the lobe of the ear. This was caused by a blow from some hard instrument, probably. There was a similar wound on the right ear, tearing tho skinfrom the cartilage and separating the lobe of the ear. This wound would also be the result of a blow. There was also a punctured wound slightly above and to the left

During the reading there was a breathless silence on the part of the listeners, and when the document was ended there were many audible expressions of horror. It speaks well for the people of Amberley that although there is naturally a feeling of intense horror throughout the community at the crime committed against a young and inoffensive resident of the place, there was no strong demonstration of feeling against the prisoner. Although it was necessary to march him through the township between the lock-up and the Courthouse four times during the day in only one case were there remarks made which could reach his ears, and these were called after him by two excitable women. A large crowd, mostly young people, collected at the railway station to see the prisoner away. Although the evening papers with the announcement that the prisoner was being brought down by the evening train had not reached Eangiora, the news soon (spread, and a crowd of fully a hundred persons made desperate endeavours to see the self-confessed murderer. At Southbrook a representative of this papei-, who had gone up by the evening train from Christchxirch, joined the down train and travelled with the prisoner to Lyttelton. Those in charge were Detectives Maddern and Marsack, and Mounted Constable {Shepherd came with the party as far as Christchurch. At Kaiapoi there was a very large gathering, and although the carriage in which the prisoner was confined was close to the engine and awayfromthe platform, numbers clambered tip the car and endeavoured to get a look at him, but very few were successful. Upon arrival at Christchurch the train was met by a couple of hundred people, who fairly rushed the carriage, but a body of police, under Sergeant M'Lftod prevented any hostile demonstration. The carriage with the prisoner and his guard was immediately shunted into the middle of .the railway yard, and was only brought back on to tho main line just as tho train was about to start for Lyttelton. Upon arriving at Lytteltoa it was found that the police, under Sergeant Eutledge, had kept the platform fairly clear, and the detectives at once got their prisoner out of the train, and proceeded towards the gaol at a rapid pace. Just after getting out of the station it was seen that a crowd of quite 500 persons had congregated, and the police and their charge were considerably hustled during their journey up Oxford Street, and many opprobious remarks were called after the accused man. Upon arrival at the gaol there was some little delay in admitting the -party after the bell had been rung, and hooting and groaning were freely indulged in by the large crowd which was now closely packed, and it was with difficulty that the police kept them back. When the doors were opened the prisoner was quickly taken inside, where he was handed over to Chief Gaoler Cleary, and a receipt eriven to the detectives for his

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side of the left breast, extending deeply and in a somewhat upward direction. It measured, superficially, three-quarters of an inch. This wound corresponded to a cut in the under-bodice, stays and underclothing. Thero "was no cut in the dress outside. There were no marks as of soiled lingers on the dress. Any or all of the cuts or stabbing wounds could have been inflicted with the knife produced. Either of the firßt, second or fourth wounds in the throat would be sufficient to cause death ; and possibly the one in the breast. There were signs of outrage! He examined accused yesterday. He had and abrasures of the skin on the? angle of the mouth on the left side. There was one long and two short ones. There was also a mark on his baekandascratch on his right thigh. His legs were very dirtyyto about half-way up the thighs, and the.body was cleaner. Examined the neckerchief belonging to accused, and found spots on it which appeared to be blood somewhat recently shed. There were stains on the front of the trousers, and these had been recently washed. The bottom of the left sleeve of the coat worn by accused was wet, and the bottom of the right sleeve was damp. Witness asked him when the scratches on him were received, and he said two nights ago. Witness asked him again, and he said, " Last night or the night before." James Johnston, police constable at Eangiora, stated that he had been at Amberley since the case occurred. He then went on to detail the circumstances which led up to accused making the confession. Accused said first that lie belonged to Eeefton, but afterwards that his father was a bootmaker, living in Wellington, and that he himself was born in Wellington. Mr Broham came into the office after a few lines of the confession had been written, and was there until it was completed. It was then read over to the accused, and he signed it, after which Mr Broham, Detective Benjamin and witness signed their names as witnesses. Accused was calm, and appeared to fully realise his position. He was at times, during the day, greatly agitated. Lionel Benjamin, police detective, gave evidence corroborative of that of the last witness. Accused was perfectly calm and realised what he was saying. Previously, he was quite collected when he gave the description of another man wanted in connection with the case. Accused, on being shown the knife, said, " That's the knife I did it with." This concluded the evidence. Accused, who put no questions to the witnesses, on being cautioned in the usual form, said he had nothing to say. The Magistrate then formally committed him to take his trial at the next sittiug of the Supreme Court on the charge of having wilfully murdered Agnes Lawcock.

| "body." After this the crowd gradually dispersed, but little knots of people rej mained in the street diccussing the murder for some time.