A COUPLE OF TRAGEDIES.

Evening Star, Issue 4115, 5 May 1876, Page 2

A COUPLE OF TRAGEDIES.

At the Wagga Wagga assizes on April 6, Daniel Boon was found guilty of having murdered Alexander M'Mullen, blacksmith, late of North Wagga, on January 10. The evidence showed that about five o’clock in the evening Boon entered M‘Mullen’s shop with a double-barrelled gun in his hand, and said, “Will you pay me my rent?” M‘Mullen said he had no money, and added that it was quite unnecessary to have brought a gun to enforce the claim. They then walked out of the shop. .Boon again demanded his rent, which he --said was long overdue, but on being answered in the same strain, turned and walked away a few paces. He sudenly turned, said in a peremptory way, “Will you pay me my rent, or will you not ?” The deceased said imploringly, “Oh, don’t do that, Dan,” but the prisoner rasied his gun and fired, and M‘Mullen fell under the shafts of a dray. The prisoner then said, “I know I’ll be hanged, but I am willing to suffer it lor a dog like you.” M'Mullen was kneeling when he was shot, trying to screw the bolts in a dray. He died eight days after. Her the defence, it was urged that Boon was under the influence of drink to some extent. He was found guilty, but recommended to mercy. He Was sentenced to be hanged, and the Chief Justice held out no hopethat the course of the law would be interfered with.

A man named Alexander Hixson was committed for trial at Maryborough, Queensland, on March 25, for the murder of his wife, Ann Hixson. Prom the evidence as reported by the ‘ Maryborough Chronicle,’ it appears that Hixson came out to the Colony in company with a single woman named Lydia Quipps, who passed for his wife, and who continued to live with him until the beginning of March, when, owing to her refusal to part with a child of hers, of which he was not the father, they separated. A fe’w days afterwards Hixson married the deceased, but he seemed to repent his hasty action, and repeatedly visited the woman Quipps who lived near him. On March 13 he was in her company the greater part of the day, and remained till abont six o’clock next morning. Wben he went away he promised to bring her some sweet potatoes. He returned with them about eight o’clock. While emptying them out on the floor, he said, “I ' have been and done for my wife.” Qmpps said, “ Good God! I will never speak to you again as long as my name is Lydia.” Hfe put his hand on her throat, and said;,!*l did it this way,” and ho then drhve his nails into her throat to show her. Another witness, who lived near Hixson’s house stated that before breakfast on the morning Mrs Hixson was found dead she heard Hixson say to her, in a loud and and angry voice, “I will make you care.” About two hoars later Hixson came to the house and said his wife seethed to be dying. The neighbor went to the house, and found her dead, apparently some little time. Hixson said his wife had been suffering from pains in the stomach all night, and that he had twice given her brandy. There were nail marks on each side of her windpipe. The medical evidence Was to the effect that the post tnortem appearances corresponded to those found after suffocation. The woman Quipps admitted that after the murder she continued intimate with and he was arrested some days after when out walking with hot*.