MURDER AT LYELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1087, 23 February 1883, Page 3

MURDER AT LYELL.

Lyell, February 20. John Davidson Inst night confessed to complicity in the murder of Denis Quinlan here on tho night of 2Sth January last. Mary Gramatica is also in cus ody on the same charge. There is great excitement in consequence of Davidson’s confession On the re-opening of the inquest this morning the Coroner announced that an adjournment for half-an hour would he made, as Mary Gramatica was making a clean confession to the Inspector of Police, who stated that it would be a little nearer the truth than that of Davidson. John Davidson in bis statement after describing his going to the house of Mrs Gramatioa says: T went to look for some matches to light my pipe, and the first thing I met was my own shirt, with blood on the sleeve of it. 1 asken Mrs Gramatica what brought it there or how it came. She told me that she hj id saved my life last night, or my brains would have been knocked out on the sofa. She said she was coming in from town, and there was a gentleman who was corning with her, but that she did not want his company. I asked her if anyone had come home with her, and she said no, but that a man came after her. This mm had a hillit of wood in his hand, which was all blood. He saw ray shirt hanging up to dry and wi ed his hands on ■.

it. The next tiling he heard was mo snoring, ami ho wanted to know who that was Uh rose the hillit of wood to hit mo with, and Mrs G-ramatioa saw him in the uot, anil knooked him down. Ho then wont into a lit on the floor, She ran and locked the i doors, and then throw some water on hi .. She pulled me, but could not awaken me. She then put him out of the back door, and followed him down the road. She saw another man rolling him off the road 1 asked her why she did not lay au m ormation against him foi killing the mnij I said ho must he dead or else lie would never roll him off the 10a 1 I old her that I would lay an information myself. I asked her if any person saw this man coming with liei. She saia “ Yes" that he lett Rosy Hoyle’s with her, and that it was Denis Quinlan, i then sdd ‘ Yon will ho hung as sate as -.” She said “ No" 1 never put hands on him, hut wanted him to go hack, Ithm askeo her who it was that killed him. She replied that she was coming by Little B u’s and he had tried to take advantage of her ; that Little Bon heard the row and came out; and that she wanted him to o mo with her and take Quinlan away. She also said that the two men came along the road after her, and that she tried to get away from them. When she looked round she saw Quinlan knock Little Ben down, atd Q dnlan in the act of pulling off his coat. S.ie stood for a few minutes mi the road, a few yards away Lom the men, and observed Quinlan fall, saying “ Oh, my God 1” She then ran as fast as she could till she reached home when she fainted away on the floor. Mrs Davidson, in her confession, after detailing the circumstances under which Quinlan accompanied her to the house, thus described what took place ; They were conversing together, but I di i not pay much attention to what they were saying, Quinlan asked to lot them have another drink which I did; Quinlan sail, “You are im posing on this woman. 1 have respect for her brother, and I don’t want to see it.” Davidson called him a liar, and said, “If anyone goes between that woman and me I will do something to them ” Davidson c led Quinlan other names, whereupon Quinlan threw his coat off and stood up to hit Davidson, .but he did not get time to hit him. Quinlan came hack again and sat down on the sofa and showed me his hand, saying, “Look here.” 1 screamed, and said to Davidson, “ See what you have cone.” Quinlan was stabbed in the wrist, which had bled very freely. He seemed not to say much My little girl was screaming when she saw the blood I got a bandage and bound up his wrist. He asked me for brandy, and I gave it to him. Davidson said the best thing I could do was to take my child and go to bed, but I took no notice of him. Ho again said, “Take the child to bed, quick.” I asked Quinlan if his wrist was pain.ul. an I lie re plied, “ No,” but to give him m >ie brondy, which I did, ami'had some m;, self. Davidson helped himself to son e. I went to bed as the child was cress, 1 left Davidson and Qniulau together, but they had no more words in ray presence. I went to sleep and did not awake till the morning. ] woke pretty early. . . . Davidson went to the Lyell, and said he would not be half-an hour away, and to remember what be had told me. As soon as he went away, 1 got up to see what was the matter outside. I saw what was like a heap of blankets, halt i.n the sofa and half on the ft ior. 1 saw two boots under the blanket, partly covered over. I said “ That must be Quinlan." I went back to my room then, mid thou :ht he might only be sleeping. He was in such a queer position that I looked out to see if he moved, lull he didn’t. 1 then began to dress myself, which .took mo a good while, as I felt sc frightened ; but before I finished Davidson came back. I asked him what he had done, and he said he had taken Quinlan’s heart’s blood. He told me to go back to my bed, which I did, and stopped there with my child, and never got up till Tuesday morning, but coubl not sleep. On the Monday night I heard Davidson drag something out of the house from the back door, but 1 could not tell in what direction he dragged it or what he did with it. Ho came back in about a quarter of an hour. He had a dagger and throw it over the terrace at the back of my house. He afterwards change ! his clothes, on which there was blood. This is all I know about it. Later John Davidson and Mary Grama’ ica were committed on a coroner's warrant for the wilful murder of Quinlan upon thoir own confession.