THE HUSBAND'S EVIDENCE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14829, 21 November 1913, Page 7

THE HUSBAND'S EVIDENCE.

John Allen Lilley, husband of the deceased,, gave evidence that his house was about three miles from May field. On October 12th, he left for iir Spencer's place, eight or nino miles away, and intended to be away for a week, for he had work to do. His wife and family of tour were at homo when he left. His wife was a strong, healthy woman. He returned homo on the following Friday evening, and found his wife was away. The children were in bed. Ho made enquiries about his wife, and went out to search for her. Between 10 and 11 at night, he found her dead body in a field eight or ten chains from the house. He covered the body with a sheet, and went for the police. , The next morning ho found a blacksmith's hammer lying near the head of th'o body, a boot was about six yards away, and a panama hat a little further. Tho hat ; which belonged to witness, had a cut in it. That had happened since "he had last worn it on the Sunday. There were signs of a struggle having taken place where the body was found. He did not disturb the body or the condition of things before the police arrived. He knew the accused, but he did not think his wife knew him. Biddle was a blacksmith, and had done a littlo work for witness, but had sent in no account for it. The witness was not cross-examined. TESTIMONY OF NEIGHBOURS. Maria Montgomery said she and her husband lived about a mile from Lilley's house. The accused, whom she knew slightly, called at her house early in the afternoon of Wednesday, October loth. Ho wanted to see her husband, and she told him where he was. He said he wanted to see Mr Montgomery •about the clasp of a plough, and sho had an idea he asked whether her husband was.coming back that night. He returned about 8 o'clock that night, and asked a-gain about the clasp. He also asked if Mr Montgomery was at home, and she replied she was expecting him every minute. She asked accused to come in and wait, but he said he would sooner walk about outside. She went to bed. and shortly after she heard her husband and Biddle come in. Accused seemed to be in his ordinary state as far as she could see. To Mr Donnelly: She had only spoken to the accused twice before that night. Mr Stringer: She was not ill that night, and had not requested the accused to go and fetch Mrs Lillev. Robert Montgomery said that Biddle had done occasional jobs for him. Accused had been in the Mayfield district for four or five years. Latterly he was working as a blacksmith". Formerly ho was a farm hand. On October loth, accused came to Harvey's place, where he (witness) was working, and asked for a plough clasp which ho wanted to make repairs to. Biddle said he had been round to witness's house for'the clasp. He told accused that he would leave the clasp at accused's sliod. He did so early that evening, and" left the clasp _ at the shop door, for accused was not then at home. Later in the evening, when nearly home, ho met accused wheeling his bicycle. Accused asked him if he had been to Mayfield, and he said "Yes," And told him he had left the clasp, at the door. He invited him in to have a cup of tea. That would be between 8 and 9 p.m. While they were having tea accused said that Li'lley owed him mOn ix' and k & was going round to get it. He told accused that Lilley was not at home and that he would* have to wait till Sunday, to see him. Accused fu"l • ?"°«W not go to Lilley's house that mght, and he mounted his bicycle and rode off ln the direction of Mayfield. iZ\' n Jt ml l] & was not there then, Sv in ThTS he saw »er d ™ d

sober and seemed to be in his usual health. , To Mr Donnelly: There was a road from his place to Lilley's. The body was lying about 4 or 5 chains from tne road. . , r David Langford, engine driver, -May field, said that accused boarded vntii him for 5 weeks, prior to October lotto. He slept at his shop and had meals at witness's house. He (witness) saw accused on the 15th, in the niorning.ana at dinner time. After tea accused told him he was going for a nde. m saw accused leave with his bicycle, hut did not notice where he went. «»a«'« did not return for his meals after tnas day although he had said » otbinf \™h heVould not return. There ing unusual about the demeanour or conduct of accused on that da>To Mr Donnelly: He had nev« noticed that accused was the sort™ man who would yield easily to su oc ,e> tion or inducement. THE LITTLE BOYS STOIU. Leonard Lilley, sou .of, John LUlg, 85 years of age, s aid his lathe- left to. Spencer's on the Sunday *™ was to return on the following Saturday night. His mother, and his tvu, brothers, and one sister were at home. On Wednesday night Biddle came to the- house, and spoke to his Hi s mother told him she was going to Mrs Montgomery, who was iU. £« mother added that she would be back later. She went away with Biddle but did not come back. He looked alter the children till Friday night, and then went to Montgomery's house. THE INJURIES DESCRIBED. Dr. Rendle, of Ashburton, stated that on October 18th he saw the dead body of Mrs Liiley in a paddock, lho body was lying flat on its face. Ihe arms were drawn up, and the hair was lying over the.head soaked with blood, lho skirt was drawn up. and tho backs ot both calves were bare. Tho deceased was wearing a dressing gown, skirt, and petticoat. There were two wounds in tho head, and through one he saw that the skull was fractured. He made a post-mortem examination the next day, and found five or six wounds in tho head. A large piece of the skull was fractured. There was another fracture, and several other wounds. Considerable violence must have been used to produce tho injuries. The hammer produced oould have inflicted tho injuries. There was a bruise over the loft eye which might have been caused by a. fall, and a cut on tho lip which might have been caused by a blow, or the doceased might have bitten it. Apart from the injuries, tho body was that of a strong, healthy woman. POLICE EVIDENCE. Constable Turner, of Ashburton, gave evidence that he wont to Lilley's house on October 18th with Constable Thompson. Ho described the condition of the body, the lower part .of which ho said was bare. Ho found the j bicycle produced in a plantation at i Lilley's place 157 yards from where the body was found. ARREST AND CONFESSION. Detective-Sergeant Fnhey, of Timarii, said ho found accused in a hut in the Hinds riverbed on the Sunday morning. Tho hut was about a mile from Mayfield, 2 to 2£ miles from Lilley's, and half a mile from Toner's. Hβ arrested accused, and charged him with the murder. Biddle then made a statement which ho (witness ) wrote down, and accused signed. Accused added in liis own writing "All that has been read over to mc is true, Alfred Biddle." The statement was as follows:—"I do not know what made mo do it. I have been mad "for about a fortnight My legs and arms have been sore. I went to Lilley's to collect some money. Lilley was not at home. Mrs Lilley was in the kitchen. She asked who was there. I said a Mr Biddle. I told lier that Mrs Bob Montgomery was ill, and wanted her to go to her. She came with mc to tho paddock for about four chains. I then hit her on tho head \ with a hammer, and as true as God is above' mc did not do anything else to her. I hit her more than once. I cannot say how many times. Tho hammer was my own. I had.it with me,to take pins out of-a plough. I have taken poison which I took from Jimmy Toner's." The statement was made voluntarily by the accused. While he was making the statement he was asked by Detective Gibson what wa* wrong, and he replied, "I have taken poison." Detective Gibson then asked him where he got the poison, and he replied, "at Jimmy Toner's."

Detective Gibson said that on the Saturday he found a bottle which had contained poison for rats and mice. There were indications that somebody had vomited in the locality. This closed the case for the Crown.