The Tophouse Tragedy.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 95, 16 October 1894, Page 3

The Tophouse Tragedy.

The Nelson Star in its account oi the recent dreadful tragedy says :— On arriving at the accommodation bouse (after being escorted back by Bate man), the suspicions of Miss Wylie, whiob had been aroused by the children telling her that they had heard a Bhot, were con firmed on seeing that Bateman had possessed himself of the key of the cubboar. in which the whiskey and rum and othei liquors were stocked. This made her suspicious, because when he returned from Belgrove early in the evening Lane had refused to give him the key, or allow him any drink, on acconnt of the strangeness of his manner. On reaching the house a terrible experience awaited the young lady who, with the children was alone with the madman. Bateman placed a lighted candle in her room, and told her he wonld shoot her if she did not go to bed in five minutes. She proceeded to obey, fully relising that her life hung by a thread but owing to the terror inspired by the awful sight of the murderer standing gun in hand, and counting the minutes on the clock, she was unable to undress in the time, and she went to bed only half unrobed, taking the little girl with her. She did not sleep, but spent a night in weeping. Bateman was in and out between there and the Telegraph Station all nigbt, and on hearing her crying he shouted " stop that crying or I will shoot jou." Miss Wylie is fully confide-.t that Bateman would have shot her but for the presence of the little girl. Next morning she managed to slip out and get to the Telegraph Station. She waa observed by Bateman. who ran for the gun, but she succeeded in getting to ihe Station before he bad time to carry out his murdreous intent.