The Station Murder.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 5347, 3 December 1908, Page 1

The Station Murder.

Manager’s Wife Charged. An Aboriginal Arrested. His Story to the Court. Qhastly Details. GEORGETOWN, Nov. 20. Fanny Wilson, on remand, was today charged at the police court with the murder of Nellie Duffy at Carpentaria Downs station on September 28. Chief Inspector Urquhart prosecuted, and Mr Tabart appeared for the defence. The court was crowded. Mr Tabart made an application for accused to Bit in the body of the court, which was granted. Sub-inspector Byrne, recalled for cross-examination by Mr Tabart, said he had arrested a great number of persons. Mrs Wilson was ghastly pale and trembling when arrested. One of the other nineteen persons was agitated on Wednesday, September 30. The corpse was well preserved. He did not inspect accused's room at that time. He inspected all other portions he thought necessary. He found spots on the verandah, which may have been blood spots. Neither Billy Wilson nor any other aboriginal likely to be a witness in the case was arrested for any purpose. He was at Carpentaria when Billy was brought in by Constable Johnson. He was detained. He did not see him that night. Four aboriginals brought in since had been kept at the police station. He could not say how the confession was taken. JBilly Wilson was detained for his own protection. Billy Wilson (recalled, and examined by Inspector Urquhart) remembered giving evidence at the inquiry at Carpentaria Downs the first time, when Sub-inspector Bryne

was there. After he left the room he got his horse to go to the Oaks. He put the saddle on, also a swag. He had a letter. Mr Wilson gave him the letter near the saddleroom. The horse was tied up at the butcher’s shop. Wilson could see the horse was going to Oaks station. At first Wilson told him to take a swag. He did not go to Oaks station. He cleared out to the bush. He took the horse to go about 12 miles from Carpentaria and let him go. He went eight miles walking through the bush, and got to Wyandotte two days later. He did not go to the station, but turned off a mile away. He went to Valley Lagoons. The country was rough. He camped there with blackboys in a lava, and stopped in camp all the time. Four blackboys came, fetched him out, and brought him to Constable Johnson. The latter brought him back to Carpentaria. After coming back he gave evidence again. That was the next morning. After ho gave evidence he went back to camp. Next he went to Einasleigh, then Georgetown, with Constables Ordish, Hayland, and Johnson. On Monday morning Mrs Wilson said something to him about washing the house after Miss Duffy was killed. He did not remember what. He said nothing to her. There

was no talk between them. He knew Acting Sergeant Balaam. He remembered going with him to look for a horse. He told him something. The sergeant was the first he told. He was frightened to tell before. Accused told him to tell nobody she washed the house. He was a big, strong fellow, but could not say what

weight he could lift with one hand, j Constable Johnson told him when bringing him back he was to give evidence of how Miss Duffy was t killed. He had already given evi- j dence. He said he would tell the truth. The second time he also promised to tell the truth. He did not remember whether Johnson and Byan, constables, went back to camp with him at 3 o’clock on the Sunday evening. He ran away from Wilson once before. When Miss Duffy came to the humpy that Sunday afternoon some picaninnies had measles. He did not see Miss Duffy bring castor oil to them. He knew Toby, who was his mate. He saw Toby every day until witness ran away. He never told him anything about Miss Duffy or the police. He did not tell Toby he was going to the bush. He did not tell Maudie, his gin, anything. On the morning Miss Duffy was killed he saw accused at the house long before sunrise. Nobody else was with them when they went to Miss Duffy’s room. It was dark in the room without matches. Witness repeated his evidence as to the position of deceased’s hands when he hold them. Accused, who was on the left hand side of him, caught Miss Duffy quickly and caught the blankets at the same time as the hands. It was dark then. All happened then. It was done in the dark. Only two matches were struck. Miss Duffy struggled a little bit. He let her hands go after accused had put the knife in water got from accused’s

room. It was in a white basin. He had been once before in Mrs Wilson’s room when Wilson had fever. Witness said he washed Miss Duffy’s hands in a basin on the floor. He washed the hands with a handerchief, wrung out the latter, and dried the hands witlj it. He could not say how many minutes they were there. Mrs Wilson had dark clothes on Sunday and Monday. He could see a pocketknife in her hand at the bathroom. She had a handkerchief in her left hand, and the knife in her right hand. He had received several hidings from Wilson. He was frightened. He went upstairs with accused to kill Miss Duffy because he thought she would tell Mr Wilson to put a bullet in him.

Edmund Lee deposed that he was carpenter at Carpentaria Downs. He said he heard no noise on the night of the murder. Next morning he took measurements for the coffin. He noticed that the bedclothes were very tidy. He had been in Carpentaria Downs 40 years.

George Alwyn Wilson, son of H. 0. Wilson, said the accused was his c stepmother. He occupied a room at ( the bachelors’ quarters. On the night of the murder Mrs Wilson was the t first to retire, leaving deceased and * witness alone. They remained about ' a quarter of an hour. The last he J Baw of deceased was about half past , 9. Asked if he owned the pocket- t knife produced, witness said : “Yes, ] that’s my knife.” He left his knife on the table in the room. He did not i remember seeing the knife on Sunday night. He saw it on Monday morn- 1 ing. Thomas Balderston, storekeeper, said Billy Wilson and Toby slept on ' the verandah near his door that night. He got up at 10 minutes to 5 on Monday, and saw Toby only on the verandah, Toby, an aboriginal stockman, corroborated Billy’s evidence in reference to a nip of whisky. The court adjourned till to-morrow. Billy Wilson, who has been arrested in connection with the murder, will be formally charged to-morrow.