A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 617, 30 December 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.

[age.] Dr Mackay held an inquest at Preston Vale, on Saturday, 11th instant, on the body of a man, name unknown, who met his death under somewhat singular circumstances. The principal evidence taken was that of Matilda Kettle, who deposed : The deceased man, dressed in striped shirt, moleskin trousers, and dark v*st, with a bag round his shoulders, his hair grey, and apparently from forty to fifty years of age, who is the subject of this inquiry, came to my house on Tuesday last, at about 10 or it p.m., alone. He asked for a glass of beer, which he got. He then asked if I had any eggs or fowls to sell, as he was a hawker. Told him I had need to purchase such. He said he could supply me, as he had a dray vith such things about two miles away in the bush. He then made partictilar inquiry how much money I could expend in purchasing. I told him 1 did not require very much. He then asked me how many boarders I had. I told him I had none at present. I then asked him to drink his beer and be off, as I wanted to shut up. He said he would sleep on this sof;?. in the house. I told him I would not allow him, but he still insisted on sleeping in the house. I told him I would allow him to sleep in a hut behind the house, in which another old man was sleeping, to which he consented. 1 was very supicious of him, and feai'ed he had some intention of murdering me and robbing the house. I kept at a little distance from him, :ind showed him out to his hut with a lanit m, which I gave him. After I had showed him where he was to sleep I came into the house. There was an old man sleeping in the hut alone, and, from the conversation of the deceased about robbing people of money and such like, after I came in, I was afraid he would do some mischief to tho old man — that he would first kill him and then come in and kill me and rob t tiehouse. I consequently called at the next cottage,and awakened a man uamedNoi t!i, who lived there, and told what I suspected, and wished him to stop with ran at my place to watch what the man would do. About a quarter of an hour after this North got up. While he was sitting in my house we heard a noise of blows in the hut, and the old man roaring out /'Murder." 1 alarmed the people all around. Mr Heron came, and went into the hut where, the old man was. When we went in we found him sitting and leaning on his elbows in the bed, and bleeding from the head. He told me that some one had come into the place, and was feeling about him in bed, which awoke him. He asked him what he wanted, and the man told him to keep his head covered up with the blaffkets. The old man said he would not, and immediately the strange man struck him on the head several times with a stick, in consequeuce of which he called out murder. After then the man ran away, as he probably heard a noise outside. The hut was twenty to thirty yards from the house, and we distinctly heard the blows the old man was getting. When we went into the hut there was no one there but the old man, and the stranger was gone away and not to be found, although the neighbors were looking about for him. What aroused my suspicion most that the deceased intended murder was that after 1 left him in the hut with the old man, I returned in a few minutes to the hut, and looked through the chinks of the slabs, and saw the stranger examining the old man's shoos to see if they would fit him. After that, I saw him take a piece of' quartering, and lay.it where he was to lie down. That induced me to go and knock up neighbor North. I have seen the body now the subject of inquiry, and identify it as that of the man referred to. Never saw him before the Tuesday night, ami noticed that he was blind of one eye. Only saw 2s 6d of money on him. The body was found under a rock, and the jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from injuries received in falling ever a rock, whilst running away on boinj£ pursued, after committing a murderoiis. assault on Henry Pierce, with intent to commit a robbery.