THE OAMARU SENSATION.

Evening Star, Issue 4236, 23 September 1876, Page 2

THE OAMARU SENSATION.

On Thursday John Morrison was charged before Mr Parker, R.M., with having, on the 10th August, unlawfully and maliciously thrown kerosene oil on the person of one Isabella Campbell, alias Johnston, with intention to maim and disfigure her. As the woman Campbell was unable to appear in Court, the Magistrate adjourned to the Hospital, where the woman now is. The main points of the woman's direct examination were that at noon on August 10 prisoner came home, and addressed some remarks to her, after which he left the room, but returned in a few minutes, when he closedbothfrontandbackdoors. At that time she was lying on a stretcher near the fireplace. She felt something cold dropping on her head, but did not know what it was. She had had something to drink; in fact, they were both slightly under the influence of liquor. Immediately after this her head got all in a blaze. She does not know how the cold matter came on her head—whether it was poured on or not. She put up her hand to the side of her head and tried to put out the fire. Her hair was all in a blaze, and her hands were burnt. She took a coat from behind the door, and wrapped it round her head to try and put out the fire. She did not know what position she was in, but thought she was standing by the stretcher when she first felt the cold stuff on her head. Her head, hands, and face were all burnt. She was conveyed to the Hospital and r - mained there till the morning of the 9th inst., when she left partly on her own accord. Morrison took her away, suggesting that she might recover quicker at home. She did not think she would have left if he had not asked her. The hypothesis of the defence, which was endeavored to be strengthened by a severe cross-examination, was that there were two kerosene lamps on the mantelpiece of the room; that through the looseness of the mantelpiece one of the lamps fell; and that it was from it that the kerosene on the woman came. She denied most positively that the kerosene could have been obtained from the tin, because it was not in the house that day, and though hard pressed to do so she could not tell where the cold matter she felt came from. Sergeant Carroll: I told prisoner his wife was lying over at Milligan's house burnt, and he said, '* It serves the d d old right. She should have been burned long ago. I have never had a day's luck since I met her." I endeavored to persuade him to go over to where the woman was lying to have an explanation of the matter, but he said she was not his wife, and he would not go. On the floor of prisoner's house, near the fireplace, there were two large spots of kerosene, and several smaller spots, which I believed also tp. be kerosene. There was a stretcher ueafc the fireplace, and the kerosene spots were about three feet from the fireplace, though somewhat closer to the stretcher. It was my impression that the floor had recently been swept. There did not appear to be any fire in the fireplace, but there were some cinders and ashes. I did not notice any live coals, nor did I see any wood lying about. Prisoner, after I had been in the house a short time, calmed down, said the woman was drunk, and that she being drunk had fallen in the fire. Mr O'Meagher (prisoner's counsel) asked the Magistrate if there was a case to answer. The Magistrate said he thcught it would be right for him under the eireumstances, and in consequence of the serious nature of the charge, to take time to coisider. Yesterday he intimated that he considered there was a case to answer and committed prisoner for trial.