HORRIBLE MURDER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 972, 3 December 1880, Page 3

HORRIBLE MURDER.

New Plymouth, November 20th. Information from Opuuake has been received that Miss Dobie, sister-in-law of Captain Gorins, had been found murdered about two miles from Opunake Camp (about thirty miles south of New Ply mouth), t-he went out for a walk on Friday afternoon, and not returning as expected, a search party was sent to look for her. when her body was found in the flax with her head nearly severed from her body. It is supposed that the unfortunate young lady had been most brutally murdered. A man named Walter Stannard was arrested in connection with the murder, as lie was reported to have been near the scene of the murder at tire time, and nail blood on his clothes. .Miss Dobie with her mother were about to proceed to England, and had been on a visit to her sister, Mrs Goring, at the Camp at Cape Kgmont. She had been sketching all parts of the country, and had been most kindly treated by the natives, An old saddle and a bunch of wild flowers, evi ently gathered by deceits-(1, wore found close by ; Mood was found from ten to forty yard's off the road, and the ground showed traces of a desperate struggle. The scene is within a hundred yards of an uninhabited pah at Te Ngamu. The authorities are making every enquiry to trace the murderer. November 23:h. A Maori named Tniii has been arrested. He was seen on tile road shortly after Miss Dobie left Opunaki, riding a black horse | similar to one that was seen at the scene of lire murder, and wearing two pairs of I trousers. One of these was found near the scene of tire murder, with blood on them. Tulii is generally believed to bo the right man, Stannard sit.sfaetoiiiy accounts tor the blood on bis trousers, ami it is thought that he is not the murderer. The inquest , was commenced on Saturday m nniino at G o’clock and continued till midnight the same .lav, when it was adj .nine 1 till .Monday. The circumstantial evidence against the Maori is very strong. 1 j ( November 29th. The inquest was resumed to-day, when a mass of evidence was taken, ail tendiuo to implicate Tulii. When all the evidence by the police had been given, the foreman of ihe jury said it was the unanimous opinion of the jury that there was no evidence against Standard, and it was their ; wish that he should be at once released. :He was then released, the Coroner r-0 1! - r ra - [ tainting him and saying that ho left “the i room entirely free, and without any stain I on his character. The Maori confessed, “I did it,” when the Coroner asked him if lie had any statement to m iko. He was fairly warned before lie confessed by Noku. He said, “It was done by me ’’ Mr Hursthouse said : Do you know what you have really said ? Du you know your po-ition 1 1 uhi said : I know I killed the woman. It was a great sin or crime. I know it. The excitement was intense. The interpreter faltered, and was deeply moved, as was the Coroner. Thu murderer appeared more calm than most in Court. November 39th. Last night, after committal, the prisoner said : i do not wish for any more trial. I want to meet my d.-.v hj here now. The handcuffs were then put on him. He preserves the same calmness, looking at all around Inin with the utmost indifference. Ihe following is a further confession of the murderer :“I saw deceased coming. 1 tied my horse in the flax, and went towards her. She gave mo sixpence and fourpcnce. The threepenny piece and halfpenny referred to, and paid to Coffey, is correct. 1 caught her with my right hand, ami stahhe I her with my left. I dragged her to the fi ix hush, and stabbed her again, and se. ing she still lived, dragged her to another, and cut her throat, whoa life was extinct. Tulii will lie tried at the next sitting of llio Supreme Court at New Tlymouih.