The Christchurch Murder.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 254, 1 May 1897, Page 2

The Christchurch Murder.

A DASTARDLY VILLTAN MAKES A I CONFESSION. | Per Press Association] : GniusTciiUßCH, April 29. '< 1 Tho spot where thp body was found is , hardly more than half a mile from tho , township, and beside one of the main , roads leading to Rangiova. There is a long plantation of pine trees devoid of undergrowth, next to the road, and there is au open wire fence about 1 half a chain long. Inside this there is a • gorse fence, which had boon recently i . trimmed. Between the piues there is a i , footpath, and it is likely that the girl was walking along this when attacked. The nirl was tall and delicate, and it is supposed that when she was attacked by 1 the murderer, whoso object was evidently ' outrage, she fainted aud was completely • at his mercy. ; This supposition was b'>rnn out by the } fact th-it there was no blood ou her : hands when tho body was found. Her [ clothes were disarranged, aud the upper part of them was covered with gorso wiiich had been trimmed from the fence. 1 A you 1 g man uauicd Win. Dwau, who • wns working 000 yards from the 1 spot at ! the time the ci'ime was supposed to havo been committed, heard no sound. This morning luspi ctor Jirolmni aud Detectives Deuj.imiu, Maddoiu aud Mar- . j .sick, and Constables Rocliu and Johnston made a thorough search iv the hope of - finding evidence, but were not able to discover anything of importance. Constable L'oche, bearing that tho man whom he had met iv tho afternoon near Glasneviu, had been scon near the. se.ene of the crime at the time it was ; supposed to have been committed, started for Waikari, where the in.au had gone immediately after tho body bad ' bcu taken to the Railway Hotel. > 11b ic-nciied the township about hullpast 7, i.nd found (he mini be was in i seirchofiu the St-ir and Garter hole! I where he bud obtained a shake down far tho night. He at once nrre?Uu him. ; Tho mnn remarked thai he hod ni'ide a iiiistukp. The man, who gavo his name ns Hugh Fraser, wns dressed in a dr\rk corit and ' vest, blue E<?r^e trowscr?, soft ftl' lv.it, nil ' his btiu^ the worse for wear. He is 22 years of nge, smooth face, and bas , an enlargement of the thror.'., which is j very promiur-nt. Ho stuitd ho w;is a , nnlive of tho West Const. "" This morning ho wsa subjectel to p. Ihorough CAiiniiivitioii by Dr Fi'.zhonry 1 'brain ti -ice--- i>f the f.tiug::lo ujjjli In? b..dv or limbs. it is kuu\wi that- he called at R. Vnr sous' i:rar ■ }i-_s phmtation and obttiiiifd I 6. an*) ang-ir jn.-it bolore 11 o'clock, inni he wi\s sefMi ;U tlic ulin:i:tion a little ii'rr. s 'Die girl would from the time she loft he; 1 lumber's luinso n. ipi;-.rter of a mdo r.wny liuvc b:.-w'i ;". : tliii fpot at tho same luur. J Ti-.' :o f:ct-; i.,-o ail that are ki:o-.vii i\' prefi n: io ciii'iit-ci the nun with thefiinio. Jn bis poc-ket W'iri found n wh;teR b:i:iJ..'e.l Ji i ". I C - • «i'h whh-b ili<-cr!i:in I'ii^h' ' b-vo 1)0' n lOiinuuifil. ilia bl'iJo :uiii II ii-.r-illr 1 r-bowr-.l cl'in ur.ili-r -ho inici'i't-- ' ci-p>", bu; iiif : di? i'r.H h :iiJi:- '.b"ru w.i^ a eii't r.f •■cin o tliintj vvij' tm.'" 1 ! Ilk-.' blood. At neon to il.iy Dr Fil/.iw-iu-y m-'.tifl a:i . elimination of the victim, nnd ill.-' ininries |f showed lhat the murderer hnd ii.'f-n iiriui i ish and determined. Eiffbt ivountl< v/wc found, four being in tho throat. Tin rr v.as a tleep punctured wont'fl ou she rinbi fide of ill" mouth, r.nd a contusrd wosmd ' n nn the left side. There were .•-ev(-r.'!l inL eisions on the left and right e:ir. There was a stub three qnnrters of an inch in " width ju^t over the rr-gion of the hr-irt. Tlhj front ot the cirl's dress must hnve s been r pen when tho stab was mnde, is 1 the cut wns only through the cornet uud ■' nnd#rlinen. s There was clour pvidenco that the vie- ■ tim had been outraged. 3 April 30. 3 At tho inquest on the victim of the Aniberley tnigedv, after formal evidence had boon taken as to identification, Ac , Constable Johnston stated that the man s in custody bad made a statement that 1 his correct namo was William Shcehau. j Ho (Sbeebau) went on to say — "I met.i girl ou the road yesterday whom I didn't know. In a fit of passion I assaulted her and murdered her. I met her in a plauC tatiou about dinner tiino, and knocked her down with a stick and covered her over with gorse aud then went away I killed her with the knife fouurl on me. 2 There was no blood on the knife, and I b got none on myself. I don't know what 3 made mo do it. 1 never saw her before. b I make this statement of my own free t will. No one bas pressed mo to rnako • thi« statement. Signed— William Shees ban." v Sheeban was calm and collected while f making the statement. The jury returned a verdict of Wilful r Murder against Hugh Fraser, alias Wilt liam Sheeban. Latest. Sheebau was taken to the Lyttelton gaol. A crowd assembled at Lytteltou station and hustled the police The j prisoner was groaned and hissed at Wbm arrested the prisoner wore a bat 1 too large for him, and inside tho lining ' was found a copy of a newspaper con- ' taining an account of the Petone murd--1 ers. The funeral of Miss Lawcock took ! place to clay. ' Sheeban is the son of a bootmaker, and was born in Wellington. 1 r*n"^T i^r*"*7r'Y ?fA " <c -' B:t/ ' g ** JMW