THE GEORGE STREET ASSAULT CASE.

Evening Star, Issue 3804, 4 May 1875, Page 2

THE GEORGE STREET ASSAULT CASE.

The adjourned inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Jessie Lockett Jeffrey was held at the Hospital at 6.30 p.m, yesterday before the District Coroner (Mr Hocken) and a jury of fifteen. Inspector Mallard watched the proceedings on behalf of the Crown, and Crossan was present in custody. The following additional evidence was given :

Dr Bakewell explained that when he stated that deceased in making her declaration to Hr Fish was trustworthy lie referred to her physical state—that she was not tailoring from any hallucination. He did not mem to imply anything as to her moral character, as be had not seen her or heard anything regarding her before tnat day. Witness added : In my previous examination I forgot to mention the state ot her brain. It was slightly congested, but otherwise healthy. By eritonitis as used by me, I mean inflammation of the bowels, not merely ordinary inflammation but extending to the muscular coat.

Inspector Mallard, re-examined : On Monday 261h April, I was present in the Police Court in the afternoon, and heard the clerk read over to the prisoner the charge of violently assaulting one Jessie Lockett Jeffrey. After lie had read the information the prisoner said, “ I did it under the influence of drink, and both of them told me that they forgave me. I did it under the influence of drink.” By the Foreman : The reason that I did not men flop this on Saturday was that while giving my evidence l was interrupted by being told by the- police sergeant Mr Lanseignc’s body had been found, and the matter' distracted me. * .

' Juror: Had prisoner anything dice L2O on him when he was Arrestedj’ - - - , Witmss ; Gh, dear no. fdo pot remember what money he had. Prisoner : It was 12i.

Another Juror : Has the watch referred to by Jeffrey as having been stolen by prisoner been recovered yet ? Witness; .-.0. The matter is still in the hands of the police, Prisoner here said that on the morning following the night of the alleged occurrence de ceased only blamed him for giving her a black eye, and sod tiiat she forgave him for doing it upon Ids saying that he was sorry for it. She also said that her husband hau jumped ou her. She had frequently said that her husband would kick her violently when under the influence of drink, and had often called him (prisoner) in to sleep between her husband and her to keep the latter from kicking her. On the niglit in question he so slept. jii answejr to a Crossansaid he was no relation whatever tq Sirs Jeffrey. Margaret Gibbs deposed that she was a monthly nurse living in St. David street. On Aj ril 24 Mr Jeffrey came for her to purse his wife. Witness accompanied him and found Mrs Jeffrey lying in bed in a dreadful state. Her eyes were blackened, and she said that a man who was living with them had come into the house and laid down in the front of the bed at which she felt disgusted and told him to go away, whereupon he jumped up and s'rack her husband in the face. Siie got up and begged him not to do it, and the man then knocked her down and jumped on her Sim sard that she had hj. t haJd a doctor, and that the man had ssid !je would stop there and nurse her himself; and that if tfyey got a doctor, he would stab him with the carving-knife, Witness went for Dr Bakewell, and remained with deceased till the 26th ujt., and then left hep, On jhe evening of the same day witness went hack and found her m the same state. She returned on the 28th ult., and found her alive; but that was all. Witness said to Jeffrey, who was present, “ Man, your wife is dying,” whereupon he jumped up and caught In r (witness) by the shoulders, but .she gave him a push and he fell on to the floor. He did not seem to be aware that his wife wag dying, During the whole time she visited the hoffse Jeffrey was never sober. Witness did not se,e the bruises on Mrs Jeffrey till slip returned with the doctor. She then n»ticed three bruises on the stomach of deceased, who told witness they v/erp paqsed.by the man jumping upon her three days before. There was also a big bruise on the calf of the leg. Mrs Jeffrey further said that the man 'as no relation 2? iieysi that he came fmm home in the Brechin Castle wlti ! ? r two years she had paid his passage from Wellington to here. During the time witness attended Mis Jeffrey she was always perfectly sensible. \\ itness never her any drink, ou, knew- her husband did during her (witness) absence, hut she never took it to such an extent as not to be sensible.

By the jury : When witness first went to attend the deceased, on the .Saturday morning, she told her that the man had left the house half-an-iio\jv _ previously. Nest day both Jeffrey and his \vifo tolq. her that Orossan had taken a gold watch, L2O in money, and Mrs Jeffrey’s locket, with the portraits of himself and wife in it, and some initials, but witness did not know what they were. Prisoner : I can tell you. They were “ Auld Lang tSyne." Air and Mrs James Oliver, who reside in George street, next to Canterbury Cottage, deposed that on the evening of Wednesday, April 23, between eight and nine, they heard spine one screaminor in deceased’s house. Airs Oliver went to her door and heard people walking 011 the floor of the next house (the side window of wh ch had no blind to it), which was; folitwed by a sound like a fall. She saw in the passage two men, one of whom—sho was certain he was not Jeffroß, who wa's taller—went to a box and was at it, M- a piinhftv b%she wag umblp to eay whether he to oh anylhfaf|j flroa

Oliver snirl the fall seemed to follow the scream, auti there wis cjuet after-war is. There was mi shout for help, and it Was the first row he had heard from that house.

Ser.eaut Dean >ie osed to having that day made an inventory of the effects of deceased’s husband. In a chest of drawers he found a locket with the likenesses of deceased and. her husband, and on the back of it the words, Auld Lang Syne.” The only money found was a few coppers. There was no gold watch, ihe place was a total wreck A pawn ticket w:is found for a silver watch purporting to be p iwned by one Stevens.

I risoner : f pawned the watch together with a Colonial gold chain last Wednesday w .-ek for Jeffrey, tie told me iu doing so to give the name of Stevens, for fear I should be known. I got on it. It was pawned at .'■oloraon’s shop m George street. That is all I wish to say.

Tho Coroner said it was clear that the deceased had died from inflammation of the bowels ; and the question for the jury to consider was how that was caused. L>r llakewell stated positively that it resulted from the injuries the woman received ; that the inflammation was traumatic — i, c., of a nature caused hy injury. Dr Murphy said the same thing, though lie at first demurred a little to that opinion. But it appeared to him (the Coroner) tha- that wns because Dr Murphy had not attended the case and had not seen its progress and the b.-uisrs strongly marked, as Dr Rakcwell had. These bruises had evidently faded away. However, '»r Murphy said that he had no doubt that, if there was evidence that the person had been jumped on, and it would have been c used from such an injury. Therefme he (the Coroner) thought that they had got two witnesses to say that the enteritis was caused by injury. Next c ane the question—and the jury must have the evidence entirely of people who had been drinking as to who caused the injury He referred to the statement of the prisoner and tothstof deceased cal iug attention to the fact that the latter w.inot of the nature of a dying declaration; and also to the similarity of her statements to Dr llakewell anil the nurse. If they could believe the woman’s memory there was fair evidence to show that the prisoner committed the injuries by jumping on her. The point was whether the .prisoner inflicted the. injuries, or whether her husband had done so. If the jury con eluded that the prisoner jumped.ou her, cans-, mg the injuries of which she died, they would then Jiavc to consider whether their verdict woiild be one of murder or manslaughter. The jury, after an hour’s consultation, returned the fodowing verdict That the deceased Jessie Lockett Jeffrey died at her residence, George street, on the 28th day of April. of inflammation of the bowels, caused by injury; hut how, and by whom such injury was caused, there is no evidence to show.”