A SANGUINARY DUEL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2094, 31 May 1907, Page 4

A SANGUINARY DUEL

TERRIBLE FIGHT TO A FINISH

VERDICT OF JUSTIFIABLE

HOMICIDE

-Tho remains of Major AVilliam Murray, of Ossemley Manor, Hilton, near Lymington, wero cremated at Woking recently. Deceased, who was eighty-seven years of age, formerly belonged to the 17th Regiment’, and to the 10th Hussars.

His (loath recalls the great Northumberland street (London) tragedy of July, 1861, which has been described as the most fearful hapd-to-haiid fight oil record. Major Murray was inveigled into the office of a mad moeny-lemlor, who shot him twice, after which a terrible combat ensued, With the aid of a pair of tongs and a largo bottle, the Major felled his would-be assassin, who died from his injuries. At the subsequent enquiry a vordice of “Justifiable homicide” was returned. In a dramatic narrative of his terrible experiences, Major Murray said lie was passing up from HungerfordBridgo, when he was accosted by a stranger, and questioned regarding the intention of the Grosvenor Hotel directors to borrow money. With the view of discussing certain details connected ycith the proposal, Major Murray was induced tfi g.ccompany the stranger to a residence he describe! as his chambers, No. 16. Northumberland street.

“I asked him for his card of address. He said .‘lmmediately,’ got up from the table, walked round me, and began rummaging among the papers of a desk. I thought lie was looking for his card, and took no particular notice. Presently I felt a touch in the back of my nedk, there was a report of a pistol, and I dropped off the chair on the ground. I was perfectly paralysed... I could not move any part of my body. My head, however, was quite clear. I was lying with my face on the fender, and when lip fired I believe he left the room. After some little time I felt returning life in my leg and anil, and was just raising myself on my elbow when I heard a door open, and lio came in again.

“Ho immediately walked up behind me and fired a pistol into my right temple. I dropped back on the carpet, and the blood gushed all over my faco and eyes aiul mouth in a regular torrent. He either stopped or knelt down closo beside mo, for I could feel his breath, and ho watched close to sec if I was dead. I then made up my .mind to pretend that I was so. I felt that the bleeding was bringing life back to mo fast all over my body, which was tingling to the fingers’ ends. I knew if I could get on my feet I should be able to make a fight for it.

“After bo bad knelt behind mo for : omo time, ho got up- and walked awuy; I then opened my oyes and took a look round, and saw n pair of iongs within a foiv inches ol my hand. Fooling that my strongtli was returning to mo, and tlioro being tho wliolo length of the room botwoon ns, I seized tlio tongs and sprang to my foot. Ho was then at tho window. Hearing mo movo, ho turned and faced ino. I at onco rushed at him, and inndo a heavy blow at him with tho tongs, which missed. “I then soizod them short by tho middle, and made a dash into his chest and face, which knocked him over on his back. I got my knees on bis chest, and tried to smash his hoad with tho tongs. They wero too long, and ho got them in both his hands firmly. I struggled hard for some timo to got them away, but lio wa« as strong ns I, and I could not do it. “1 looked round for something else to hit him with, and close to my hand I saw a largo black bottle, which 1 caught in my right hand, and, shaking tho my left; to keep him occupied, I him lull, with all my force, on tho middle of tho forehead, smashing it to pieces. , That made him quiver all over, lnit still ho did not let go tho tongs, so 1 caught hold of a metal vaso and dashed it at his head with all my might, lnit I missed him.

“Then, as I sawjthoro was .nothing else at hand, I stft to work desperately to got the mastery of the tongs, which ho was holding all tho time. During all this time lie was on his hack, close under the window nearest the door. After a long struggle 1 got the tongs. As they cnino into my hands I lost my balance and fell back, but was up again in an instant, and by that time he was rising iiito a sitting position, which gave me a full fair blow at his head with the tongs, and I gave it him with all my might and main. I repeated it three or four times. He hid his hoad under the table to escape my blows, and 1 thou hit him over the back of the neck; and in order to disable his hands, I hit him hard over the wrists. “I then thought ho was sufficiently disabled, and tried to get out, bul tho door of tho room was locked. I then wont through tho folding doors of the front room and tried that way, but that door was locked too. In coming back through tho folding doors I met him again face to face, walking towards mo; I took a step back in order to get a full swing, and hit him on tho head again with the tongs. He fell forward on his face through the folding doors as il lie was dead. I pushed his feet through tho doors, shut them, and threw up the window to got out.” It was in endeavoring to effect his escape at this point that Major Murray was seen by some workmen, and assisted to the ground. Ho liad then in his hands tho tongs used in the struggle, broken, bent, and covered with blood. He appeared for a few minutes unconscious of liis injuries, but was soon overcome with their severity, and conveyed to Charing Cross Hospital. Tho alarm being at onco given to the police, an entry was forced into tho chambers where the struggle had taken place, and their occupant found in the condition described by Major Murray. It was then ascertained that the unknown assailant was a Mr. Roberts, money-lender, who rented tho chambers.

Roberts was also conveyed to Charing Cross Hospital, where lie lived for a few days. He made no reference to tlie encounter beyond the mysterious statement that “Murray did it. Ho first shot himself, and then attacked me with the tongs.” The mystery was Quito cleared lip

at the inquest,.where Major Murray’s story was borne out in every particular. The motive of the attack was also made apparent. One of the witnesses called was a woman named

Annie Maria Moodio, of Elm Lodge, who had passed ns Mrs. Murray. Roberts made advances to her, which she treated with considerable coldness, but could not reject altogether on account of certain pecuniary obligations. Roberts then designed the attack, it was thought, to get Murray out of the way.