THE MURDER AT LYTTELTON.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2041, 19 November 1869, Page 2

THE MURDER AT LYTTELTON.

The Times of the 12th iqst. contains full particulars of the inquest held on the body of the unfortunate woman, Georgina Fenton Smyth. The principal evidence against the accuse 1 was that given by a girl named M ary Ann Walters, who was housemaid at the Railway Hotel, and a statement made by the man Godfrey, cook at the hotel, who was charged as being accessory to the murder. Godfrey’s statement was as follows On Saturday morning [the 6th inst., the day on which the jpurdef was committed] I was in the kitchen, when deceased cgme down to me with some measures for me to clean. This was about ten o’clock ; about a quarter to twelve she came down again to give me orders. I saw no more of her until one o’clock, when she came head first down the kitchen stairs. She got up on her feet, and went half way up the stairs, when she fell back again to the bottom. She again got up, and went upstairs. When she got there I heard some high words between deceased aud Smyth, Re tjjen pulled her downstairs by the hair of her head, He threw her head on the floor, and put his foot on lier throat. The girl Walters was downstairs at the time. Smyth kept his foot on deceased’s throat, whilst he pulled a rope out ot his pocket. He then slewed her over, with her face downwards, and made her hands fast. Then he put a piece of wood in her mouth. He fastened it with cord round the back of her head, and round her neck. He then went upstairs for more rope. Whilst he was upstairs I cut the gag adrift. I was just going to cut the cords from her hands, when I heard him coming down again. He said, “You have been up to some of your old tricks again. ” I asked him what he meant. He said, “Cutting her adrift.” He took deceased by the legs, and dragged her into the room ■where 1 sleep. I went upstairs, jnto the front bar, aud sat down to smoke. There were two men there. Smyth came up, and I went up aud cut deceased adrift. Her hands were tied behind her. She had no gag then. I went into the kitchen, and commenced scrubbing. Deceased came out of the room and asked me if 1 had a comb. 1 said, “No.” She then pushed her hair back with her hands, shored the cellar-door open, and threw the rope into the cellar. Sqe went upstairs after this. Smyth came down and Ipqked ipto the room where he had left the deceased fastened, and asked me where she had gone to, I told him she had gone upstairs. He told me I bad been up to some of my little tricks again. I asked him w’hat lie meant. He said, “ Cutting her adrift,” I heard no more of either of them until three o’clock, when I heard a struggling at the bar door, as if [deceased wanted to get in. I heard the door open and deceased fall on the floor. I heard Smyth ask deceased if she would go up or down. She got up, and went half-way upstairs, aud he followed her. I heard no more until the servant girl came aud told me deceased was sitting on the sofa sewing. This was in the room above the kitchen. Deceased had not been there very long before I heard her and Smyth arguing again. Smyth shoved deceased upstairs. I saw no more until a little before five when Smyth mnic down and said she was dying. lie took

a knife off the table, and went up the stairs as quickly as he could. I followed him up into the bedroom. He was sitting on a chest with deceased’s head between his legs. He told me to get some dark brandy, I went to the top of the stairs and called for Mary Ann Walters. She ran up. Smyth told her to bring some brandy. She brought it. Smyth toen sent her for Dr House, who came. When the doctor arrived the woman was dead. Deceased was gagged in the kitchen with the gag produced. I cut it adrift as Smyth went up stairs. There were no wounds then on deceased’s face. It was only in deceased’s mouth two or three minutes. The same string was on it then as now. Smyth afterwards put it in his pocket. Deceased was quite sober at a quarter to 12. She was quarrelsome when in drink. I ssw Smyth on Saturday when he pulled deceased down by the hair of the head. Between six or seven months ago, Smyth fetched deceased ddwn by the hair of the head, through the kitchen iuto the cellar, and he made her fast to two posts there, by her hands and feet. Her hands were stretched out above her head, and made fast with new cords. He *came out and bade me not to cut her adrift. I then went upstairs to my dinner. A young woman living in the house took a dish down to get some cabbage. When she came up, she said she had cut the deceased adrift. A few minutes after Smyth came down he threatened me, and shoved his fist in my face, saying I had been letting her adrift again. She was in liquor at the time. Smyth often, in my presauce, threatened to either kill or cure deceased.—On the morning of the 6th, when the prisoner Smyth in? formed the police of the death of his wife, he told them that she had died in a fit. He also said that he tied her up whilst she was druuk ; that he had only left for two or three minutes whilst he went down stairs to serve two customers at the bar, and that on going up stairs he found her dying. The medical evidence was to the effect that death resulted from suffocation, accelerated by the injuries received by the deceased. The two doctors, who made the post mortem examination, stated that there was no appearance of brandy in the deceased’s stomach. If she had drunk during the day there would probably have been an alcoholic smell. One of the medical men added that it was his opinion that, after receiving such wounds as he saw on the deceased’s body, she could not have done any work ; it must have stunned her for the rest of the afternoon. It was most improbable that she could have sat down to sew.—The jury returned a verdict of “wilful murder” against Smyth, and aquitted Godfrey,