THE LATE FATALITY AT PAKIRI.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1873, 6 August 1874, Page 3

THE LATE FATALITY AT PAKIRI.

The following particulars of a shocking occurrence which terminated in the death of a woman at Pakiri, are furnished by } the Southern Gross : — A settler named Charles, Dyer has lived for many years upon the Pakiri river, engaged in the timber trade, and has done a large amount of business in bulk and sawn timber, palings, shingles, &c. Dyer is a widower, and it would appear that he has for some time past been living with a woman named Eliza Battersea in anything but bonds of amity, the spirit of jealousy having poisoned his whole nature. Dyer's place is a short distance up „the Pakiri river, situated at a snug-little bend of the fiver, and; the ketch Prince Rupert anchored at no great distance from Dyer's honse.. OriThursdayclast; heis said to have made a moat violent arid brutal assault upon the woman with. whom he was living. Not content withbeating her, heis said to have taken a quantity of kerosene oil, poured.it over her r , especially about her head,; arid then set 'fire to it. . In an instant the unfortunate woman was wrapped in a sheet 'of , flame, and seeing, what he had done, he sriatched up a sack which was lying 1 upon the floor, and wrapped it round' her body^took her to the river and threw her into the tidal water. ' A man working for Dyer, named ; Watson, saw her in the water, and at once went to her assistance.. He succeeded, with some difficulty in getting her out of the river, and, with the assistance, of Dyer, got her removed to the house. .Mr George Sharp, another employee of Dyer's was then sent for and whenhe arrived hefoundthe woman sitting on the.'floor-iri a most horrible condition. All the hair was burned off her head, her clothes burnt, to her waist; >and- the whole^ of the upper part of her body was half roasted.; She was' also sadly besmeared with mud which had adhered to her when thrown into the river. After some time Mr Sharp succeeded in getting some of the mud washed off, and the urifortnnate woman placed in bed. Her wounds were dressed Wth salad, oil and flour, the only articles which were available for the purpose: at ;■ the time. > A son of the accused^ Ellis Dyer, got a horse and at once went, in search of the constable, who had, but a' short time previous to the assault, been in , the house for the purpose of investigating a' J reported robbery. : Thb constable ; was, overtaken about eight miles from Dyer's house, and a£ once returned with the riiessenger, accompanied ; a settler named Thbriias Burns.' .'Dyerjwas ' thbn arrested an don the following day was then placed ; on .the- Prinpe'^Rupeit, along) .with.. the tunate woman, who still lived, for the pur-, jpose ; of ; t being_takento Auckland. Itj i& r stated that there was only a little girl in. the- house- when the' kerosene oil > ignited, but ' ; w"e c underst'aridf ''.that ;; Dyer '. admits having 'thrown; the woman ; into ; the river, although he denies having 'set-fire to >her< His account to£ the fire ikiridling is that she knocked a kerosene oil tin down :. with her headjUhattheioil flowed /over her. persJMi, and thathe;:was in the u act. of striking a match at the;tiine to light 'his , : pipe, iwhiclr accidentallyjiigriited the spilled -kerosene oiUA When the Prince Rupert left Pakiri the pooulwomaniwas still- alive,:, and in. a Bemi-unconßcious state. She.must have suffered intense agony before 'death, relieyed herof suffering^ which took, .place ;, when the vessel;; was between. Tiritiri, and Rangitoto: Reef / Dyer is about fifty-f.our years' o£ age, arid has been in.th.e ; Proyince for the - ! last thirty-three years. The ; de- ; ceased was abou^ fprty-three years of age. It. is to be 'hoped 'that. r the evidence may • show Wat the ; graye 1 auspicidnis unfounded.)- ;and that his account of) the lamentable occurrence is the correct one.