AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 4079, 28 February 1894, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Saturday, February 17. A MUNICIPAL TRAGEDY.

Information has no doubt been transmitted to New Zealand by cable of the ghastly occurrence which took place at Burwood, a Sydney suburb, on Monday, but fuller details will prove of interest. It appears, from the account furnished by the 'Argus' correspondent, that Alderman William Paisley was re-elected a member of the Burwood Municipal Council on Friday, the 9th inst., and mayor on the following day. On Monday morning, before nine o'clock, he attended at the Council Chamber with the object of dealing with certain business matters which had to be brought before the Council at its meeting to-night, and of obtaining particulars for the compilation of his report to his fellow councillors. While thus sitting in the clerks' room examining apay sheet and attending to correspondence William Redfearn, the town clerk, came behind him and, without the slightest warning, fired two shots in quick succession into his back. Aroused by the shock Alderman Paisley started to his feet, and facing Redfearn found him holding a smoking revolver in his hand. Without a word he grappled with Redfearn, who, pointing the revolver al him as he approached, fired a third shot, the ball penetrating Mr Paisleys left arm. Perceiving that his only chance was to get possession of the weapon, Mr Paisley seized Redfearn, and a struggle for supremacy ensued: Numerous clots of blood about the room, splashes on the walls, and over-turned furniture show how desperate was the conflict. It is wonderful that a man on whom three wounds of so serious a nature bad been inflicted could have ought against such odds. Finally, the combatants scrambled towards the strong room, into which the mayor rushed, and tried to close the door against his maddened assailant. Redfearn following, strove to prevent this, and drawing a stiletto he had concealed slashed at the mayor's head, cutting through his felt hat. Again they closed, and Mr Paisley was forced to the floor, where he grasped at the dagger, receiving a severe cut on his hand as Redfearn drew it away. Fortunately, however, he was able to wrench himself free from the infuriated town clerk, and he at once rushed out into the street. As he did so, however, Redfearn fired again at him, the ball cutting off the lobe of Mr Paisleys ear in its career. It then entered the skull behind the left ear, and passed through and out of the fleshy part at the back of the head. Once out of reach of Redfearn, Mr Paisley, evidently stimulated by the excitement of the encounter, ran along Railway j Parade until he met Mr Hawkins, a friend, to whom he exclaimed : "My God ! I'm shot. Redfearn has murdered me I" He was then within a short distance of Alderman Archer's house, and, that gentleman approaching, the injured man, who by this time had sunk exhausted to the ground, was taken into his residence, and medical aid instantly summoned.

The exit of Alderman Paisley from the Council Chamber had been observed by Mrs Green, who lives opposite, her attention having been attracted by the report of the revolver shots. Perceiving blood streaming from Mr Paisley she shouted for assistance. A resident of the neighborhood, James Hewitt, responded to her cries and rushed to the Council Chamber, where he met Redfearn face to face. The latter at once slammed to and locked the door before Hewitt could enter, and a moment later Hewitt heard two shots fired inside the room. The police having been summoned, an entrance was effected through the window, aud Redfearn was discovered sitting in an armchair breathing his last. It is apparent that directly he closed the door he picked up a second revolver, placed it to his mouth, and fired, the ball penetrating his brain and causing almost instantaneous death. His head was hanging back, and both arms were dropped by his side. On the floor, beneath his right hand, was a new revolver, and the dents on two of the caps showed that it was only on the third attempt that the weapon exploded. Redfearn's suicide was committed almost instantly after his attack on Alderman aisley. An examination of the room showed that Redfearn had armed himself with three revolvers and a dagger, and shot the mayor from the largest revolver, afterwards firing at himself from the smaller one. Mr Paisley, in addition to being shot beliind the ear, was struck by one bullet between the shoulder blade and spine, another entered his back just above the groin and passed through the stomach, as it could be felt under the skin of the abdomen, and a fourth inflicted a flesh wound on his left elbow. As his situation is extremely critical, the injured man's depositions have been taken. In them he said : — "I came to the Council Chambers at eight o'clock, and I saw William Redfearn. I came of my own accord to attend to my mayoral duties. I sat down at the desk to write letters to Mrs Firth in reference to a cabman's shelter that she had written about, and did not observe Redfearn till I heard the crack of a revolver, and two shots were fired continuously into my back. I then got up and followed him. We had a fight. He fought like a tiger-cat. I got him down and took the revolver from him. He then drew a dagger on me, but I mastered him, and he could not use it. Feeling faint I went out into the street."

The crime seems to have been premeditated and carefully thought out. At first it was presumed that the reason for it was because the Council had decided to dispense with Redfearn's services, but it appears the trouble began in 1888, when Redfearn quarrelled with Aldermen Archer and Redman, and then declared he would shoot them. This threat seems to have been continually in his view, though his friends thought he had forgotten the matter. He, however, appears to have nursed his wrath, and when recently it was proposed to supersede him by a younger man as town clerk, a position he had long honorably filled, his anger blazed up with all its old fury, Alderman Paisley this time being "the special object of his aversion. Redfearn also was very much incensed when, during the recent banking troubles, his salary was reduced, although subsequently his old pay was reverted to. He became depressed, and about three months ago quarrelled with several members of the Council. He then sent in his resignation, which was accepted, and the probability of seeing another man in his place undoubtedly had an effect upon him. Until recently, however, he worked amicably with Alderman Paisley, but a few weeks back he seemed to take an uncontrollable dislike to him.

Alderman Paisley was warned that Redfearn might attack him, as it was known that he habitually carried a revolver, but the mayor only laughed. To one man Redfearn, speaking about shooting the mayor,, said : "It would be a good fight. He has one eye and I am lame in one leg." Redfearn acted as poll clerk at Friday's elections, when his .strange behaviour attracted general attention. He complained of pains in the head, and declared to a lady who came to vote that it was the last time she would see him. In view of the loss of bis situation, Redfearn in January sent his wife to England, where he has two daughters, and since then he has been living in a house at Burwood. It was his usual practice to sleep with a revolver under bis pillow, and he often told his housekeeper that he would be brought home dead, while n one occasion in her presence be put the

muzzle of a loaded revolver in his mouth. Redfearn had announced his intention of standing for Parliament at the forthcoming elections. There is little doubt that the man's mind was completely unhinged, and that his attack on the mayor was due to what he regarded as an accumulation of grievances resulting in his loss of office. At the inquest yesterday Mr K. B. Kenway, inspector of nuisances, stated that he warned Mr Paisley on Saturday that Redfearn had expressed an intention of injuring him, and advised him not to go to the Council Chamber on Monday, but that Mr Paisley said: "As long as I keep him in front of me I am not afraid, because I will Avatch him very closely, and immediately he raises his hand I will knock him down ; I know he is very cunning, but I think I am as sharp as he is." At the declaration of the poll on Friday Redfearn behaved in a very suspicious way, and witness shepherded him then, as he was afraid that he would injure Mr Paisley. Considerable sensation was caused by the production of Redfearn's note book, in which were newspaper cuttings giving an account of the assassination of Mr Harrison, the Mayor of Chicago, across one of which was written in Redfearn's handwriting : " Turned out of good office by him. So die all tyrants." On another was written: "Paisley deserved it. — W.R." In a memorandum book the following entry was found :—": — " However Monday night's work may finish, I mean to have Paisley first, because he has ruined mo and all my belongings, and the sole cause is that I have done my duty in refusing his assistance, and making him pay £6 15s for work he had done by the Council. Paisley first, Hennessey second, Scholes third, Archer fourth." The names mentioned here are those of three other aldermen of the Burwood Council against whom Redfearn had a vindictive feeling.

SERIOUS EXPLOSIONS.

Three explosions, attended withserious consequences, are reported. On Monday two men were engaged in scraping a roller at the Nieo Manufacturing Company's works at St. Albans, when a quantity of the explosive became ignited, and one of them — William Ross, aged twenty- ohree — received such injuries that he succumbed. It transpired at the inquest that he foolishly used a hammer and chisel instead of a wooden scraper for detaching pieces of nico from the roller, and the ignition was thus caused. Mr Hake, the inspector of explosives, explained that the regulations enjoined that no steel tools should be in that room. Nico was not easily exploded. It was easily ignited, but it did not explode by burning. When it was ignited it burned very violently, and gave off a great heat. In his opinion the deceased was chipping off the incrustations of nico from the incorporating mill with the -steel chisel and hammer, and that in doing so he struck a spark, which set fire to the nico. It was (properly speaking) a fire, and not an explosion. There were 601 b of the explosive in the factory at the time of the accident. The wind blew the fire across the doorway and prevented the deceased from escaping. The South Park Hotel at South Melbourne was the scene of a singular gas explosion on Wednesday, a result of which the licensee, Mr John Derham, and a kerosene lamp traveller named Alfred Tucker received painful injuries and the building serious damage. Mr Tucker, who represents a firm of kerosene lamp vendors, had made arrangements with Mr Derham to affix a lamp in his bar on trial, and for that purpose called at the hotel about eight o'clock in the evening. He swvmg the lamp to the ceiling, utilising a portion of the gasalier fixtures for the purpose. In doing so he strained the bearings of the gasalier, and thus caused a leakage. Having hung the lamp in position, he sent a lad named James Grimes up a step ladder to light it, but, the lad being too short, Mr Tucker jumped on the bar counter himself. Meantime young Grimes reached the bar door, and Mr Derham stood behind the bar watching the operations. Tucker had no sooner applied the match than there was a loud explosion. The immediate effect was that Grimes was sent flying on the footpath with Tucker close behind him, while Mr Derham was flung violently to the floor. The lad picked himself out ot the water channel, and was comparatively uninjured. Tucker, on the other hand, was very severely burned about the hands and face, and his clothing was ignited. Outside the hotel stands a water trough, and as soon aa Tucker recovered from his dazed condition and found himself on fire, he sprang bodily into the water trough. In the excitement of the moment the crowd which had gathered forgot him, but after a thorough and protracted immersion he was carried away to a chemist's shop, and thence to his home. Mr Derham was found to be suffering severely from the effects of the explosion, and it was deemed necessary to call in the aid of Drs Foster, Willis, and Thompson, who, after dressing his wounds, administered a hyperdermic injection of morphia, which not only induced sleep, but entirely prevented a praper investigation into the circumstances of the case being made. The bar of the hotel and adjacent rooms were wrapped in flames, but these were easily subdued. It was then found that all the adjacent woodwork, the doors, windows, aud shelves were shattered to atoms, and some fine plate glass windows were demolished. The walls were cracked and scorched, and altogether the damage approached in amount £150. Joseph Neil, a young man of 27, died on vVednesday last from the effects of injuries received in an explosion at the Yarraville Sugar Works on the 6th February. The evidence given at the inquest showed that the deceased entered the cistern, carrying a lighted torch, to see how the work was proceeding. Almost immediately afterwards there was an explosion, and when Neill came out he was very badly burned. He was not wearing any clothes, as it was not customary to do so in the refinery. He was an experienced man, and knew the risk he was incurring in entering the cistern as he did. George Arthur Turner, manager of the sugar works, deposed that Neill should have opened a door at the top of the cistern before entering. By doing so the gas which had been generated would have been drawn off, and it would have been quite safe to enter the cistern.

A terrible accident occurred at the Snowstorm mine, Omeo, on Monday night, to Mr Thomas Le Blanc, the manager of a cooperative party. Mr Le Blanc had .put in a charge of gelignite, and, having fired the fuse, proceeded along the tunnel with his brother, C. Le Blanc, walking behind the latter. The explosion took place very shortly, and C. Le Blanc, who was still in Che tunnel, looked round and was surprised to find his brother not following. Going back to the face of the tunnel, he fouud him ou the ground with his head shattered. Death must have been instantaneous, deceased having evidently been struck on the head with a stone.

GENERAL.

The latest news received from Coolgardie is to the effect that a well-known explorer, Mr Carr-Boyd, has been lost in the bush. He had been absent several days in a locality known to be short of water. Several parties are in search of him with camels. Teamsters report that they have the greatest difficulty in reaching Coolgardie owing to the long Btretcb.es of country without water over which they have to pass. "Jacky," the Dora Dora black who is concerned in the murder of a settler on the New South Wales border, aud who got away, after being captured in Queensland recently, was rearreated last week on a small island of

( thirty acres of dense scrub. He was known to be there during a fortnight Twelve ! police and civilians searched all one day, but j were unable to find him. Eventually the ■ police obtained the services of three blacks, frieuds of Jacky's. When they were en- ' gaged in conversation with Jacky one seized his tomahawk and threw it away, whilst the two others caught him and called for Constable King and his brother, who were 1 awaiting a signal. The police rushed up in- ! stantly and seized Jacky, who gave in. | The disputed ownership of a stallion formed the subject of an action tried the other day before the Chief Justice of Victoria. The plaintiff was Mrs Alice Soley, whose stage name is Ethel Gray, and the defendants the' Agency, Land, and Finance Company. The plaintiff claimed the return of the stallion, which had been seized by the defendants by virtue of a stock mortgage, given in their favor by Henry G. Lomax, in whose custody the animal was at the time of seizure. The Btory told by the plaintiff was that she had been carrying on business in New South Wales as a theatrical manager, and had saved about £400. In 1889 she lent Lomax, who was at that' time a wealthy grazier, £200, for which he was to pay 6 per cent. At his suggestion she subsequently purchased the horse, allowing the loan to go as purchase-money. During 1891 she was away in England for about six months, and on returning she found that Lomax had got into financial difficulties, and that the horse had been seized by the mortgagees along with other stock in his possession. She now claimed the return of the horse or its value, £200. In crossexamination she admitted that for some time she had been living with Lomax as his mistress, and it was sought to show for the defence that the whole story was a pure concoction between the two, intended to save something from the wreck of Lomax's fortunes. His Honor, however, accepted the version of the plaintiff and Lomax, and • made au order for the return of the horse, or in the alternative for £150, its value, with £50 damages for detention. There is to be a new development in the railway libel action Speight v. Syme. It will be remembered that the only point on which the jury gave a verdict in the case i was in reference to the libel on the plaintiff on what is known as the "stores" count. Last week judgment was entered for the plaintiff on this count, and costs were allowed. The defendant has since notified that he will move the Full Court at the first opportunity to set the finding of the jury aside and order a new trial, because the verdict was received by the judge on January 2, notwithstanding that the Court could not sit on that day or at any time in January. A further grou*d of which notice has been given for upsetting the finding is that the Court sat after the long vacation had commenced ou December 20, which, it is to be [ submitted on the defendant's behalf, was illegal.