THE OXFORD TRAGEDY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2553, 14 June 1882, Page 4

THE OXFORD TRAGEDY.

An inqueit wu held yesterday at the Oxford Hotel at 11 a.nu, |before 0. Whicefoord, Esq., 8.M., on me bodies of Jehu Home and John Grenfell, the former oi whom was killed by the latter ou Monday. Mr G. A. White was elected foreman.

The first witness callod was Stephen Dillev, •who deposed : —I am a platelayer en the railW»y. I live at East Oxford. I knov tl e bodies of deceased John Horno and Join Grenfell; they were mates of minp.and were alio platelayers. I have known Horneabjut ■even years and a half, and have boon mates together all the time. I havo known Grenfell about two years and eleven months. He has worked with me during that time. Testerday morning, about half-pasts tix, I loft West Oxford station for Bennett's Junction. 1 met deeeased and the ginger Paohnntz about thirteen minutes past eight, at the Immigration Barracks. Jo'in Home and Grenfell had beon to E ist Oxford with a trolly r'or sleepers. I oame apparently without any quarrel, and all four began to load the trolly at the barracks with materials for repairs. John Grenfell went back about five yards Bnd took up an adze, and oame and stood beside the trolly. I walked back and took up a hammer and a box, and oarriad it up and dropped it on the ground in front of him (Grenfell). He neither spjke to me nor Ito him. He was standing still with the adze in his hands. I returned for a wood, meeting John Home and Pachnetz with the stop blook (a reotongular piece of wood, weighing about 80 or 90lbs, and used to put on the rails to stop the carriages) Just at the time I got back to take up the piece I was going to fetch —the blook—John Horn" had reaohed the trolly with their wood. I was in a stooping position to take up tnv block, when I heard some one say " Umph." I turned my head towards the sound and saw John Home fall. I saw the blood gush from just under his left ear. John Grenfell was standing with the adze in his hand. I callod out "Jack. Jack, my God, what hava you done?" Ha lifted up the udza above his bead and made towards me, and said "You too, you b—jyou toa. you b ," twice, I ran away. Iran about twenty-three or twentyfour yards. I did not know whether he was following me or not. I turned my head over my shoulder, and saw he was within a yard ot me, and the adze over his head as whenhe etaited. A thought struck imo to rush him, and I wheeled round and rushed at him, lifting my hands above my head to ward off the blow. He struok at me with the adze and hit me on the head. I got hold of the adz a by the handle and gave it a sudden pull and pulled it out of his hand. He then ran away. Nothing was said during all the time. I returned to Paohnotz to assist John Home. We sent Powell, who was working near, for the dootor and the serceant of police. Home was quite dead whrn I got back to the trolly. It was not more than from three to four minutes from the time of my first running away. We stood by the body until the policeman came. Lalor, the constable, asked one of ua to go with him. Pachnelz •topped with John Home, and I went with him in the direction that Grenfell took. In crossing the paidoek we saw a man. The policeman a«kod me if that wsb the man. I ■aid I did notjehink that was. We eooyed to him and the cumt vble asked if he had Been the man snywhere about the field, and he said he had not. Whilst we were speaking to the man I said " There he is, hiding in the ditch." We walked up and found Grenfell lying flit on his belly in a pool of water. It was a furrow of a grass paddock. lb was about 3ft in length, and about three or four inches deep. I assisted the constable to pull him out. There was no appearance of life. Sergeant Scott then oame and had the bodies removed to the place where the jury have now seen them. I gavo the adza that the murder was committed with to the Sergeant, that is the adze produced. We o*ncot do without the adze in our work. During the time Grenfell and have been working together I have never heard a word of quarrelling. Grenfell and I did not agrae very well and scarcely spoke this twelve months past, but ho and Home always appeared on the best of terms. I have noticed this last fortnight that Grenfoll has had nothing to say to any one, and would have nothing to say to any one of the three unless he was obliged to do so. This had bean remarked by the gang, and we ware surprised at it. Some time baok he used to talk, I never heard him complain of illnoss. I never knew him loose his temper before this time. I have beard him say he enjoyed good health. It was about forty minutes from the time the deed was done to the time when we found him in the water.

Fred. Paohnetz—l am ganger of the Oxford length, of platelayers. This witness corroborated the evidence of the former witness. Ho saw Homo sinking, and took hold of hia right arm to let him down steady, and noticed the blood coming out of the neok near the left ear, and heard Dalley •ay, "Jaok, Jaok, what are you doing. I tried to help Dalley when he ran after bim. He was running after him with the adze up. Before I got to them Grenfell ran away into • paddook belonging to Mi Pearson, and wo returned to Home to aee if we could save his life. When we cams back. I believe Home was dead. He had lost a great deal of blood. About a fortnight ago Grenfell became surly, and did nob talk so much as he did a month ago, but did his work. Grenfell complained of illneaa when he came that morning, and I told him to go home, and he Baid that he thought he could manage, and in a few minutes Home came.

The foreman asked if he heard anything laid to Grenfell by Home.—He did not. Did you hear any chaff of Grenfell by the other men about any artiole of attire. There was no such chaff in my hearing. William Lawler, sworn, deposed—l received information about 8.30 a.m. from Thomas Powell about the murder, and in oonsequenc3 of what I heard I proceeded to the barracks. I saw the boiy of John. Home on the eido ol the railway, lying on his ba:k, quite dead, with a large cut on the sido of hia nock. The constable here corroborated the evidenoe of Dalley about finding the body of Grenfell, with hia right hand on the back of hia head. The Ooroner summed up the evidence, and The jury returned a verdict as follows : " We find that deceased, John Horno, c.imo by his death from a blow from an adze given by John Grenfell, who afterwards drowned himself, and that the said John Grenfell was at the time suffering under a fi'j of temporary insanity.'