DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT YORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 18 February 1905, Page 13

DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT YORK.

OLD COUPLE BRUTALLX aiTJBDEEED. A railway pensioner, 'WilliaEJ Hewitt and bis wife, Isabella, both over 70 years of age, were on Friday morning, December 30, found dead, with their heads tearfully battered, in theft house, a two-roomed cottage* in a yard lying off the Crescent, Blossomstreet, Tork. It seems that the old couple kept the keys of a blacksmith's shop In the yard, and not having been seen since ■Wednesday, the suspicions of two of the workmen were thus arocsed, and finding the keys hanging where they left them the previous night instead of having been taken into the cottage, they broke open the door. The body of the old man was discovered lying on the floor of the kitchen In a peol of blood, quite dead, while the body of his wife was lying on the sofa,- covered by a cloak. Her head was also terribly battered; in fact, they were both smashed to a pulp, and quite unrecognisable. The police were informed, and a careful examination of the place showed no Blgns whatever of a struggle, the blood on the floor evidently being due to the position in whic hthe bodies had fallen. The door was bolted from the insilde, and the window unlatched, arid it is surmised that the assaiiant —for all the circumstances point to a horrible case of mnrder —escaped by the window and removed all clues by whfch he could be traced. No weapon or instrument of any Kind was found in the room, and there is nothing to Indicate how the deed vras perpetrated beyond the fact that the injuries could not have been self-inflicted, and that they must have been caused by some heavy Instrument. In. thfs connection It Is pointed out that the yard was also used as a stone yard, and that there ■were plenty of loose pieces of stone in the vicinity which might have served aa a weapon. slr and Mrs Hewitt had residing with them a nephew, Harry Hewitt, an adopted son, who was missing, and on whom suspicion rested. He was a chemfist's assistant, and had been manager of a chemist's shop in Castleford, and latterly was employed at a shop in Hull, where the parties originally came from. Of late, however, he has been out of employment, having lost his sUaatlon through Intemperance, and has been residing at Yorfc with his uncle and annt. practically loafing. The neighbours state that the parties quarrelled during the week,"and that Mrs Hewitt went to a neighbour, and told her that Harry had threatened to do for botli of them. The old. folks are supposed to have saved * little money, Mr Hewitt being In receipt of. a small pension. Hewitt was brought the magistrates on Monday, January 2. The police had been watclilnj the cottage In which the victims were found, and on Saturday night, between eight and nine o'clock, accused, who had been miasing, went straight to the house, and was arrested by Police-constable Southwood. He was rercov&d to the police station, where he was charged on suspicion with the murder. He had offered no resistance to his arrest, and In reply to tbe charge merely said, "I have nothing to sar." The murder has caused a great sensation in York, and the Court, was crowded, The Chief Constable as\#d for a remand for a week, and after fornftti evidence prisoner was remanded according-