ON TRIAL FOR MURDER

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1821, 6 August 1913, Page 9

ON TRIAL FOR MURDER

MRS. AHLGREN'S DEATH.

POLICE LEAD NEW EVIDENCE

(By Telegra-ph—Prtsa Association.) Auckland, August 5. Considerable interest was taken in a case which commenced lnthololice Court to-day, when Alica Sarah Williamson, a married woman, aged 5 ' y? ars > ™. s cursed with the wilful murder of Lllen Ahlgren, at Henderson, on July 17.. a lie police were represented by Clnof Detecfive MacMahon, while Mr. J. R. Lundon defended. Mr. F. V. Frazer was the presiding • magistrate. ' . , , . The chief detective said that, on July 17, a ship's cook named Lmnbert William Vanclelaer, better known as "Billy Brawn," went over to Henderson to eeo Mrs.' Ahlgren, After drinking .they went together to sen the accused woman. Tho latter .received , 23. . from Mrs. Alilgren, and, in a subsequent quarrel over this money, accused throw a bucket of water over] Mrs. Ahlgren. Deceased then returned home. • Subsequently . Vnndelaer went-to Mrs., Ahlgren's house with tho idea of patching up tho quarrel, but, on tho way there, he found Mrs. Ahlgren lying near a small creek very badly burned. Help was summoned/ and it was then found that Mrs. Ahlgren had managed to get back to her. house. Slio wa3 removed to tho hospital, where, in her dying depositions, she accused Mrs. Williamson of setting fire to her clothes. Evidence additional to that submitted at tho inquest would be sriven, and this evidence would show that accused had been heard to threaten to ''burn and ecakV" tho deceased woman. . Evidence would' also be called to establish the fact that fragments o f burnt clothing had been found just outside Mrs. Williamson's house, and also at intervals between the two houses. ■ Lambert William Vandelaer was called. He admitted that he had been very much under the influence of liquor at the tune of the tragedy, and had nothing further to add' to what he had said' at the inquest. Drs. C. Rossiter and Alex. Grant also repeated their medical evidence. concerning deceased's injuries, and John Wo.ntbone, porter at Henderson Railway Station, told how he had rendered; first aid to Mrs. Ahlgren;: , Ma.ud Edith Ada Ohurton, married woman, living at Henderson, said that; at four o'clock'on the afternoon 'in question, eho went to deceased's houso, and found her -thaw suffering from terrible burns. Witness left the house, and returned to her home. In passing the back of accused's house on her way home, she found three, pieces of burnt clothing. One was just outside Mrs. Ahlgren's house, and t\vo pieces just outside accused's house. Witness further stated that she spoke to accused and told her of Mrs. Ahlgren's condition.Accused replied: "It serves her well right," and added that she (the accused) had thrown a bucket of water over'deceased. Accused was not sober. She said that she had had a ''terrible row" with Mrs. Ahlgren. The witness also .stated that, a day or two before the ' tragedy, accused .(referring to deceased), had.said: "If she ever dares to como near my, houso again I will biirn and scald her." - , ■' In answer to Mr. Lundon, witness admitted that she had paid nothing about her discovery of the burnt clothing until Thursday last. She had not picked-'up or kept the pieces, but had pointed out to a detective where she had seen fchen>. They had disappeared by this time. Witness added that she had never "had, any quarrel with accused, and that accused had had no. quarrels with anyone except. Mrs.Ahlgren. Proceedings were' then adjourned.