TASMANIAN MURDER SENSATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1898, 5 November 1913, Page 5

TASMANIAN MURDER SENSATION.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

By TelsjT&pli—Press Association—Oopyrtelit

(Reo. . November 5, 0.20 a.m.)

Launceston, November 4. Tho inquest has been resumed into tho death of Katherine Ledwell, who was found brutally murdered near tho road to her father's homestead at Deloraine.

Joseph William Belbin, a pleasantfaced, intelligent-looking youth, who is charged with the murder, was present. Constablo MacCarthy gave evidence that Belbin was on Wednesday at tho sceno of. tho tragedy, and demonstrated to him how it happened. According to Belbin, tho girl was standing under a wattle treo. Ho had his left arm round her neck and to kiss her, holding his gun. on his right arm. Ho said: "Mind the gun!" and kicking tho weapon it exploded. ; M'Carthy also gave evidence that Bellon's demonstration was not in accord with the report Belbin had mad© to him on the day of the tragedy. He had said' then that the murder had been committed, adding: "By her clothes I think it is Mhggie Ledwell." He admitted that ho had been out shooting rabbits.

William Hayward' gavo evidence that ho had met Belbin by tho scene of the tragedy, and they stayed together for about ten minutes. They were sitting on a log, and heard a gun-shot. They then went up the road. Ho left Belbin, who had then gone about 170 yards ahead when he,called out: "Come back I" saying that there was a girl up there with her brains blown out. Belbin made no statement as to how it happened. The witness did not stop with the body, but went homo. Questioned regarding the reason, ho said that ho was frightened. '1 had nobody to protect me. or to say that it was not me who did it." The proceedings were adjourned.