THE MURDER AT WEST OXFORD,

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1373, 10 July 1878, Page 3

THE MURDER AT WEST OXFORD,

[fbom thb special bepoethb of the pbess.] Very few particulars beyond those published yesterday have come to hand respecting the murder at West Oxford. It appears that the man in custody, the husband of the murdered woman, is a native of Bohemia, by name Eguirs Hoff, He and his wife, Tekela Hoff, came to the colony about four years ago. At the time of the murder they were living in a small house in the bush, about two miles eastward of West Oxford, and facing that township. Eesiding with them was a man named William Barrett, between whom and the murdered woman a strong intimacy existed, which has been the cause of domestic dissension between her and her husband. Although Hoff had lived in the same house with Barrett for the last three or four years, he was so jealous of him that he had frequently threatened his wife if she continued to encourage him. Previous to the occupation of the house where the tragedy took place, the three had lived together at Qientui, the two men following the occupation of bushmen. Many rumours have been for a considerable time afloat regarding the antecedents in their own country of both the accused and his victim, and the complaints of the former regarding his wife’s infidelity are matters of notoriety. On Monday morning, Barrett left the house at half-past seven o'clock. As already staled, that which led to the discovery of the crime was the outbreak of fire in Hoff’s house. The murderer appears to have made no attempt to escape, for, while the police were searching for him in the bush, he had made his way down to the township, and was eventually arrested in the vicinity of the station. Hoff was formally brought up yesterday before Mr Sladden, J.P. At the request of the police authorities, he was remanded until this morning, when an inquest will be held before Mr Whitefoord, on the body of the murdered woman, prior to the case being heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court. The prisoner is a powerfully-built man, of about 60 years of age, of swarthy complexion, and of a stolid, determined cast of countenance. He is a carpenter by trade, but has more the appearance of a seaman.