WIFE MORDER IN CARLTON.

Evening Star, Issue 3834, 8 June 1875, Page 2

WIFE MORDER IN CARLTON.

A shocking murder is reported of a woman by her husband. A man named John Barrett, an assistant bailiff, living in Ballarat street, Carlton, near the Carlton brewery, killed his wife, Harriet Maria Barrett, by stabbing her at the back of the right shoulder,, under the shoulder blade. Sergeant Hickey went to the place and made inquiries, from which he reported to the following effect :—He found Barrett’s house locked up, and that the key was intbe possession of a married daugter of Barrett by a former wife. He searched for the weapon with which the wound had been inflicted, but could find nothing showing indications of having been so used, and it was rumored that the woman was stabbed with a fork. The appearance of the woman, however, did not support this. There was no blood about the place, or disarrangement, of the furniture, but there was some blood at the gateway of the yard. The sergeant was informed by Mrs Ellen M‘Hale that about half-past four that afteernoon she went to Barrett’s house to give Mrs Barrett a dish, which she handed to her at the door without going into the house. Mrs Barrett ran out into the yard, and cried out, “Oh, I am stabbed.” Mrs M’Halo turned round, and saw the deceased return into the house. After a few minutes, Mrs Barrett came out into the right-of-way, again crying out, “I am stabbed.” She again went info the house, and when next seen by Mrs M*Hale was on her knees and elbows at the gate, off the right-of-way, bleeding from tbe mouth and nose. The woman turned the deceased on her back, and put a pillow under her head. The husband, John Barrett, was at this time standing over his wife, and he said, “ 1 have killed her.” Barrett was said to have been sober at the time, and to have been in the habit of continually ill-treating his wife, and threatening her life. She was said to have old wounds about the head, body, and arms, indicative of such violence. She had no family by him, but he had two daughters by a former marriage, one of whom lived near him. They were in the house shortly after the occurrence, and might, the sergeant reported, possibly have removed the instrument with which the stab was inflicted. Barrett, when looked up, gave his age as fifty years, and his occupation as agent. The deceased was about thirty-five years old. The woman had been dead some little time when examined by Dr Teague, resident surgeon at the hospital. The wound did not bear oat the supposition that it had been* accidentally caused by a fork, but in Dr Teague’s opinion was inflicted with a long-bladed two-edged knife, which must have been driven home with great force, as it appears to have gene clean through the right shoulder blade, and penetrated downward, forward, and inward to a depth of Sin. or 6in. It appeared to hare penetrated the lung, as bloody froth was issuing from the woman’s mouth and nostrils. it must have been inflicted when tbe woman’s right arm was raised up.