MIKIMIKI MYSTERY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 183, 10 August 1901, Page 2

MIKIMIKI MYSTERY.

CONFESSION OF DOUGLAS,

[By Telegraph Press Association.] Wellington, last night. Robert Douglas was charged at the Magistrates Court to-day with the murder of Mrs Pain, at Mastcrton, on his own confession.

Mr 11. D. Bell prosecuted, and Mr T. Wilford defended. Mr Bell said the first statement made by tho prisoner to the Lyttelton gaoler was in July, 1899. Douglas then said he had had a quarrel with Sirs Pain because ho was asked to work in wet weather. Ho said she tried to put him out of tho house, but failed. When he was fishing in the creek near the house she came along, and in crossing the creek she fell face downwards. Ho at once wont to her aid, but could not pull her out. Half an hour later he went home and told tho servant girl Mrs Pain was drowned in the creek. The girl took no notice, but went on with her work. He also went about his work, leaving the woman in the creek all night. Her husband returned in tho morning. Douglas then told him of her death. Tho husband refused to go with Douglas when the latter offered to show where she fell in. She was found on Monday. Mr 801 l said this portion of the evidence was obviously nonsense. The prisoner had made a second statement to the gaoler, in which he said that in a quarrel with Mrs Pain she bad struck him on the head with a block of wood. In the afternoon she and ho were going up tho creek coling. On tho way up another quarrel took place. She called him bad names. Ho then knocked her down with a stick. She fell down the hill towards the creek. Ho dragged and pushed her into the creek, and held her head under tho water till she ceased to struggle. He returned to Pain’s and went on with his work as if nothing had happened, and stayed until the body was found and an inquest held. He assisted in looking for Mrs I’ain, going anywhere and everywhere but where she lay. The day after the murder ho told Edward Harris of his deed, and how he did it. Mr 801 l said Harris would be called to prove that Douglas had never mentioned the matter to him. At tho inquest the prisoner gaicl he and Mrs Pain went fishing, at her suggestion. They afterwards walked up a hill to the top of a spur, and he wont further on to get tho cows. The last ho saw of her was when going towards Ashby’s fence. He looked round a second time and could not see her. When walking up tho hill she appeared strange, and was muttering. He went home, and thought it strange she did not return. Mr Bell, in conclusion, said it would be much more consistent with the facts that the woman was murdered than that she had a fit and rolled down the hill towards the place where she was found.

DOCTOR BELIEVES WOMAN DIED FROM DROWNING.

[By Telegraph Press Association.] Wellington, last night. Latex.— At the evidence in the Douglas murder case witnesses deposed to the finding of the body in a creek, and to tho movements of prisoner, as outlined in the opening statement of the prosecuting counsel. A point was made of the fact that there was only one shoe on the corpse, the other being found on a ridge above the creek, from which it was impossible for deceased to havo rolled while in a fit. Dr Butemant, who was called to see the body, and attended the subsequent examination of the remains after four months’ interment, said he stiff adhered to the. belief that the woriian died from drowning, and that the abrasions on the head were post mortem. There was no wound which would lead him to suppose deceased was rendered insensible before drowning. It was possible, assuming the abrasions were caused during life, for a blow on that part of the head to have caused concussion of the brain,

Prisoner was committed for trial at nex 1 criminal sessions.