Murder of Mr Baillie at the Fijis.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 79, 16 May 1871, Page 7

Murder of Mr Baillie at the Fijis.

Late Fiji pape'rs state that On the morning of the 13th March last, Mr Baillie,! formerly member of the Victorian Assembly for Castlemaine, and a partner with Mr Butters as stock and share brokers, ■Collins-street, Melbourne, was found in his sleeping, apartment dead, and with every appearance of having been murdered. Mr Baillie and his partner, Mr Scott, occupied a hut together, and Mrs Baillie occupied another a few yards away. Mrs Baillie states that she heard no noise during the might, but in the morning she did not observe, as usual, the smoke from the chim•ney of the house occupied by her husband and his partner, and proceeded to ascertain the cause. On entering she observed Mr Baillie apparently asleep, but on going nearer was horrified to find that his head had been smashed in, apparently with a tomahawk. She gave the alarm to the nearest neighbours, who quickly repaired to the scene of the tragedy. The partner Scott was nowhere to be found, and suspicion, of course, immediately pointed to him as the "murderer. An inquest was shortly •afterwards held, when a verdict.was returned that the deceased was wilfully murdered by his partner, Scott. Scott was formerly a joiner in Ooltingwood, and had been on intimate terms with Baillie for a number of years whilst both resided in Victoria. Great efforts were being made to capture the accused, who made off during the night of the murder, taking a quantity of property with him. He was known to be of a rather moody disposition, and liable to brood over even an imaginary slight or fancied wrong. Private letters state that a strict search is being made for ■him, and when captured he will be forwarded to Sydney for trial.