TRIPLE MURDER NEAR CHRISTCHURCH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4869, 29 June 1901, Page 3

TRIPLE MURDER NEAR CHRISTCHURCH.

THE MUBDERER CONFESSES.

Particulars of a terrible tragedy at Eyre ton, near Ohriatohuroh, reaohed the police late on Tuesday night. It was a triple murder, the viotims being Mrs Sarah Martin (widow of the late Henry Martin ,, f armor), her unmarried daughter (Ellen Martin), and her grandson (Lorimer Martin, son of G. H. Martin, who lives in the district). They lived in a house at Eaßt Eyreton, a little country village in Nonh Canterbury, near Kaiapoi. The house is situated in a lonely spot, some distance back from the road, surrounded by trees, and is a considerable distance from neighbore. It was noticed on Sunday and Monday that nobody was moving about the premises, and a neighbor reported this to Mr Clothier (Mrs Martin's son-in-law), who lives a couple of miles away. On Tuesday Mr Clothier went to make inquiries, and found the house looked up and apparently deserted. Breaking ip by a window, he found his mother-in-law lying dead on the flooT, net head coveted with blood and terribly mutilated. He then re- ' ported the to the polioe, and when they arrived it was found not only that Mrs Martin but her daughter and grandson also had been murdered. Mrs Martin lay dose by her bed. A deep cat extended about two inches across the centre of her forehead, aDd her skull had been cleft open by some instrument which penetrated deep into the brain. She had another deep gash behind her right ear. Apparently 'she had wakened from her sleep before har life had been taken, and there had been a 'struggle on the floor. la a corner of the room on a mattress lay the body of her little grandson, who was only four years old. He had not moved at all, and had evidently been killed instantly in bis sleep. A great gash extended from his left eye to his right ear, and there was another across his forehead in a diagonal direction above the right eye. Irr the kitohen was the body of Miss Martin. Her body lay on its baok on the floor. She was fully dressed, but had no shoes on, and was wearing two pairs of stocking. The head and upper part of the body were covered with sheets, saturated in blood. She had no less than six wounds in her head, almost every one of which would have been fatal. The forefinger of her right hand was cat dean through, as though she had attempted to protect her head with her hand. The perpetrator of the dreadful crime appears to have gone coolly and deliberately to work, and to have been in no huiry to leave the premises until he had carried out his intention of robbing the plaoe of money and valuables. The house was ransacked from end to end, drawers were turned out, articles were broken and thrown about, and heaped up in all direotion. The pocket of Miss Martin's dress was turned inside out. Exactly what the murderer took away is not known. A man -servant named Alexander MacLeau, who bad bean in the amplaymfeak ofM** Martin for some two months trag the only ether occupant of the house. He slept in one of the upper floor rooms, but had decamped. A man answering his description has been seen driving a horse and trap at Oxford, Waddington, and other places in the district within the last day or two. Ashbuhton, June 27. Alexander Mac Lean, suspected of having murderer Sarah Martin, her daughter, and grandson at Eyreton, was arrested at Tinwald this morning by Constable Eade. He has confessed to having committed the murders. At the Police Court he was brought up before Messrs H. Friedlander and B. Alcorn, J.P.'s. No evidence was given, the prisoner being remanded for eight days to Christchurch on the application of Sergeant Barlow. It appears that Mac Lean walked into Ligan's Hotel at Ticwald this morning at about 7,30, and, putting down a sovereign, called for whisky, which was given to him. He then asked to be allowed to go into a , room where there was a fire, and was invited into the kitchen, whert he was sitting when Mr Lagan (the lioensee) came down from his bedroom. Mr Lagan, from a private description he had received, suspeoted that ' Mac Lean was the man wanted, and ordered his servant to keep him under close surveillance. He then rang up the constable at Ashburton, who proceeded to Tinwald and < made the arrest. Mac Lean, on being taxed, admitted the charge, saying that he must ; have been mad. He was then conveyed to , the lockup at Ashburton. The horee on ( which the prisoner had reached Tinwald, together with the bridle and saddle, were found in a paddock adjoining the hotel. ' About £7 in money was found on the ! prisoner. ■ ■ Mao Lean, who was born in Victoria in 1878, has parents residing at Bendigo. In confessing to the murders, Mac Lean i said he had received a letter from. Aut-tralia, ; lrbicti aauiugea hismlna &od qaufied Mm < to commit the orime. He was quite ready to die. A large crowd assembled at the station as he left Ashburton in charge of the police, and hooted the prisoner. To get to Ashburton Mao Lean mu9t have • travelled in a roundabout way. Leaving Eyreton he had evidently gone straight to ' Oxford, having dined there last Saturday, and leaving there the same day with the i horse and trap. Ha had inquired the way to ', the West Coast, but had instead come south to Sheffield, where he stayed on Saturday night. Thence there seems to be some mys- , tery as to how he reached Tinwald. He had ! iDqaired for Greendale and the Bangitata bridge road, but was seen to turn to the left at Waddington instead of going over the • Hororata bridge as directed. From there he must have gone down somewhere near Methven, and thus to Tinwald. Mac Lean has a heavy type of countenance, with low eyebrows, broad nose, and promient ears, and is of an athletic build. It is believed that his mind is deranged, as he had been depressed for some time, 'and has threatened to shoot himself, while his aimless wandering about the country alpo pointß to this conclusion. He has long been known to the police, and his name* is recorded in the Police Gazette for house-breaking in 1897, while on May 28 of laßt year he was sentenced at Christchurch to 12 months' imprisonment with bard labor in Lyttelton Gaol for breaking and entering and theft.