THH MURDER TRULL.

West Coast Times, Issue 10473, 18 January 1897, Page 4

THH MURDER TRULL.

[Peb United Pbess Association.]

Wellington, Jan 16.

The principal witness against Bosher this morning was Wm. Jones, residing at Taita. Bosher went to his place the morning after the murder, and when questioned by witness about whether any footprints we*te got, was so agitated that he trembled violently, and Mrs Jones had to make him a cup of tea. He was too upset to drink more than half. The accused showed him his coat pocket, which was torn saying that he tore it getting into the cart that morning. , Bosher's left hand, from the wrist to the knuckle, was streaked with blood, and there was a piece torn clean out of the right hand on the second or third finger. In cross examination the witness said he did not know what to think when Shore was arrested, and he limped half way to Petone on a stick to see Boaher and ask him if he had anything to do with it, before he communicated with the police. The case was adjourned till the 25th owing to the pressure of other business.

The following is Dr. Hislop's evidence of the appearance of the bodies: Dr. Hislop described the scene which he witnessed on being called to the house of the deceased on the morning of the 28th August. In the kitchen the table was laid as if for a meal. There were four chairs set around the table, but two of these had been pushed back from the table aa though two persons had risen. On the table were two cups and saucers, the cups containing a deposit of tea ; two small plates which had been used, a salt cellar, a plate of butter, a quarter-pound tin about three-quarters full of hvovrn pepper, and a kerosene lamp still alight. A corner of one of the pieces of sacking on the floor had been turned up. A quantity of pepper— almost a good teaspoonful altogether— was sprinkled on the floor in front of the fender and of the sofa. The body of Joseph Jones was lying across the doorway leading from the kitchen to the small room behind the shop. There were three knife-cuts on the body, passing through the clothing. The first, 2£in long and across the spine, lfindown from the nape of the neck • the second, on the left side of the spine, 7in below the nape of the neck, and half-an-inch in length ; the third on the right side and lOin from the nape of the neck. On the left side of the face and on the neck of the coat was what witness took to be pepper. Mrs Jones's body lay in the passage leading to a door in Beachstreet. The body was fully dressed and was lying on its back. At first sight witness saw no signs of injury, but there was a large cUt of blood in the mouth and a quantity of blood on the floor which was frothy and had come from the lungs. On the front of Mrs Jones's dress was what appeared to be brown pepper. In the course of a minute description of the details of the wounds noted at the post mertem examination, the witness mentioned a remarkable fact that the knife had been enabled to penetrate the 1 spine in the largest' wound on Mr Jones's body owing to there being a malformation of the spine at the very spot which the weapon . struck. Had the spinp been perfect at that point the knife would never have been able to penetrate into the lung, and the wound would not prove fatal. The knife causing the first wound must have been, witness thought, a sharp, two-edged weapon, with a rounded point. The same knife could consistently cause the thr«e wounds. Certainly the two smaller wounds could not have been inflicted with a sharp-pointed knife. An extraordinary amount of force must have been used to cause the largest wound. Witness had a theory, to which he did not attach much importance, that the first blow, which caused the largest wound, had been struck from the front of Mr Jones, over the dead man's shoulder, as the latter was sitting down. Witness' however, now inclined to the opinion that the blow was struck from behind the victim's back. Death would have practically been instantaneous. In the stomach was a quantity of digested food. On the body of the woman witness found a wound an inch long situaed 4in below the [right arm-pit, p cue. trating the lung and completely destroying it. All the other organs of the body, aa was also the case with th >se of her husband, were healthy. The stomach contained a quantity of digested food. This wound could have been caused by the same weapon which had been used on the husband's body. If the woman had been lifting her arm to open the door the wound, the position of which was covered when the arm was hanging in a normai position, might have then been inflicted

Under cross-examination by Mr Wilford witness stated that oehi'nd the till in the shop there were scores of tins of pepper. Witness did not notice the labels of the tinsj and could not say whether fihe tin in the kitchen was of the saiu; kind as those in tfee shop. There were salt and pepper on one of thb plates which had been used in the kitchen. Witness saw no evidence to prove that a third party sat down to the meal. Witness would say that the Joneses had finished the eggs and their meal without interruption. The lamp on the table was in <m awkward position if it was placed to give Jight to the Joneses when at their meal. ;* looked more as if it had been plaoed so as to b]** 09 through the glass door to Atkinson's yaru/ Witness would come to the conclusion tb& * ktnp had been placed there after the nTJ"* 1 -

Sale, Sale now on at H. Schroder and bons; a fresh supply of first class kid gloves on hand, usual prices. We are giving special good value in hats, clothing, umbrellas and curtains. Remember the sale at H. Schroder & Son's, where you are not pressed to buy. Inspection