MURDER OF A HUSBAND

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 510, 25 August 1902, Page 3

MURDER OF A HUSBAND

A SHOCKING CRIME. CONFESSION IJY THE WIFE. A TERRIBLE STORY. Tiie following account of the Dandenong tragedy appears in the Melbourne Age of August J2th : As was announced in the Age of yesterday, Sangal’s body, terribly mutilated, was on Saturday night recovered from a well on his property on Key3borough road, three miles from Dandenong. The man had been reported missing by his wife, Selina Sangal, who suggested suicide, on the ground that his slippers had been found near the well. But the opinion yesterday expressed by Dr Lee Brown, who saw the body, was that the injuries could not possibly have been self-inflicled. Examination of the body showed that an attack of singular ferocity had been made on the unfortunate man. From ihe nature of the wounds it was apparent that a considerable time had elapsed between the striking of the first blow and the death of the doomed victim. There was unmistakable signs that the man had bled to death through the severed jugular vein, and was dead before the body was thrown down the well. Tho man Tialcr, who has been charged with tho murder, was for a long time employed by Sangal in bis garden. He is a stout, stolid man of 28, a Russian Finn, and has boon a disturbing element in

Sangal’s family by reason of his familiarity with tho latter’s wife. Giving an account of his movements on Friday and Saturday, ho said that ho proceeded to Molbourno on Friday night, that ho was drinking about tho city with a companion, and that ho stayod in a house in Little Bouvke street. On Saturday morning he had breakfast at a restaurant in Flinders street, and then went to tho shop of Mr I Gamble, chomist, to havo a cut upon his i hoad dressed, tho wound, ho said, having , boon caused by a fall in a shipping office where ho was making some inquiries. Mrs Sangal, when questioned regarding tho blood-bespattered Btate of the room, ; hesitatingly admitted that she could [ not account for many of tho stains. E

Later on, she entire] y contradicted her previous explanation, and, sending for Sergeant Dungey, told him she wished to make a full confession . She then made tho following statement, which was takon down in writing and signed by her in the presence of witnesses : “ I wish to further stato that on Friday night after I was in bed with my husband I heard a noiso, and saw a man coming into our room. The lamp was turned down, and whon the man camo into tho room I went into my children’s bedroom. Tho man who camo into our bedroom was August Tisler. Ho did not speak to mo. Ho camo into our houso through tho kitchen window, which was open. I did not go into the room till ten minutes to 6 a.ra. next day. I then saw that Tislor had cleaned tho blood up. My son David said to mo whon I went into the bedroom, 1 What is that noise ?’ I said, ‘ That is August.’ He said, 1 Let mo go in,’ but I would not let him, as I was afraid that Tislor would do him somo harm. There was a fire burning in our front room on Friday night. * I wish to say that the blood which is'on the portruantcau and all tho other articles, except tho mattress and palliasses, was not on them beforo last Friday, and wbat I have said about the blood in tho other statement is not correct. I have made this

statement of my own freo will, and I wish to say that August Tisler is the man who killed my husband.” Mrs Sangal's incriminatory statement was read over to Tisler, but he denied all knowledge of the murder and said Mrs Sangal’s statement must be a mistake. Investigations havo proved that somo of tho man’s story regarding bis movements in Melbourne on Saturday are true, but no confirmatory account of his doings on Friday night has been ascertainable.

The deceased’s son, David, eleven years of age, stated to Sergeant Dungey that ho was aroused at about one o’clock, ho thought, on Friday night by a noise of thumping and struggling in his parents’ bedroom. His sistor Minnie was also awakened. He heard his father’s voice calling somowhat faintly, “ Oh, Gus I Gus 1 ” There wero then more blows and the voice of another man. Ho then heard hia father call to him, “ Dave, Dave! Como to mo.” He was about to go, whon ho saw his mother in the doorway looking at him. She said ho must not go in, as thore was a man there who might hurt him. He then heard his father call his mother to take him a drink of water. Sho took him a drink and returned. There was then further noises and thumpings, and ho could hear his father’s voico in a gasping whisper, and then heard him breathing heavily as if struggling for breath and then all was still, Aftewards ho hoard the sound as of something heavy being draggod out of the room and across tho verandah. In the morning his mother told him to get a scrubbing brush and wash out somo blood stains off tho wall and floor and the verandah and the edge of tho well. The little girl Minnie corroborated her brother’s statement. Both children aro bright, intelligent, and woll behaved, and apppear to havo been well cared for. Thoro aro two others, a little girl of six and an infant of two. Mrs Sangal is at present in dolicato health. Both prisoners have been charged with wilful murder.