BOYS' TERRIBLE CRIME.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1096, 7 April 1911, Page 5

BOYS' TERRIBLE CRIME.

EXTRAORDINARY DEPRAVITY

PLAY CARDS TO DECIDE WHO SHALL COMMIT MURDER.

[SENTENCED TO DEATH. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrielit (R-ec. April 6, 9.20 p.m.) Sydney, April G. The trial of the two lads charged with murdering Mrs. Warby and her daughter on January 28 began to-day. The boys, William Francis Millar, )G years of age, and Reginald Clare, 17, arc charged with having shot Mrs. Sarah Warby, 62, and Miss Amy May Warby, 23, at Billenbah sheep station, near Narrandera, on the south beat of the Murrumbidgee, on the date named. Tho station is owned by tho Warby family, who have, been old and respected residents in the district for years. The boys had been employed on the property. On the afternoon of Saturday, January 28, while the menfolk were away, the tragedy occurred. Mrs. Warby, on emerging from an outhouse in the garden, was shot in the head, and dropped. Miss Warby, on hearing the report, came from the house, and, seeing the boy after her, ran in the direction of the paddock. She was then shot, falling dead from the effects of two bullets, of which one hit her in tho head. It was alleged at the inquest that the boys had intended to shoot a station hand named Dunn, get all the loose cash, and set fire to the homestead, burning the bodies. Each of the prisoners stated in his evidence to-day that the other did the shooting. Clare said that after planning the crime ho and Millar had played games of cards to decide the part each was to take. He won the first game, which decided that he was to rob the farm. Millar won the second, which involved the shooting. The police stated that Clare's pea riflo was clean, whereas Millar's showed signs of having been fired. Both the accused were found guilty by the jury, and sentenced to death.

AN INCREDIBLE STORY. COLD-BLOODED MURDER PLANNED, At tho inquest, Clare, one of the accused stated the intention was to make Miss Warby sign cheques of ,610 each, shoot her and her mother, hum the bodies and tho house, and then ro out in the paddock rabbiting, and return in about half-past six or seven, when Dunn, tho ploughman, would have arrived and discovered everything, and get tho blame. They would then go to Sydney, and after spending tho money return to the country. Millar saw Mrs. Warby go into the outhouse, and followed her with a ritlo to tho corner of tho building, and he (Clare) went through the pantry door, where he could see Millar waiting with the rifle to his shoulder, as if ready to fire on Mrs. Warby when sho was leaving the building. Seeing that Miliar really intended to shoot, he (Clare) ran to Miss Warby, who was scrubbing the hall, and told her that Millar was going to shoot her mother and then shoot her. Miss Warby replied, "Can't you stop him, Reg.—can't.you stop him?" He said, "No, i have no hone; he's too strong for me." Sho replied,. "Run for Jim (meaning her brother), and Til follow." Ho (Clare) ran through the hall, down the garden, and as ho ran ho heard tho faint report of a rifle.. He,ran towards wliert Dunn was ploughing; but when about 100 yards off he turned, and saw Millar running after Miss Warby and shooting her. He fired once, then reloading, and, as sho staggered turning towards him, he fired a second shot, and she fell. Millar stopned to look at her body, and then returned to the house, carrying in his rifle. Millar, tho other accused, made a statement contradicting the statement of Keg. Clare and him playing cards in the Ke. Clare and him playing cards in the men's hut up to dinner, and again after dinner—altogether four games. At 12.50 he went to work, and he told Re" .Clare to get a nea-rifie and bullets from Mrs . 3 a - , J , liss Warby got them a nne and 50 bullets, and left them on rno verandah. Ho. (Millar) had another riilo in the hut, and he cleaned both rifles and then gave Clare 25 of tho bullets. 110 then put a bullet in his best rifle and nred it off under an almond tree near tho house. Ho afterwards wont round to nx tiio saddle on the horse. Reg. Clare was then carrying the two rifles, and ho went up to the'back-garden gate, through which Mrs. Warby had already gone. All of a sudden he (Millar) heard the report of a shot, and saw a dark form drop just by the side of the outhouse, r.-nen Clare was coming out of tho garden. He (Millar) got a saddle and bridle of the house, and mado off to the cultivation Paddock. Just as he was passing th" front garden gate he heard a bullet en past him Ho looked round, and sawClare inside the gate. Ho started to run and Clare followed for about 20 vards Just as he (Millar) was putting the saddle on the horse he saw Clare going towards Dunn. He (Millar) walked through tho sorghum paddock, and emptied 29 bullets from his pocket.