SINGULAR CONFESSION OF MURDER.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 107, 14 March 1868, Page 5

SINGULAR CONFESSION OF MURDER.

The following is the text of a singular confession of murder made by an immigrant girl in Christchurch, on Wednesday last. Hester Hoskin came to the Depot with constable Alexander Wilson, and of her own free will made the following statement: — I live at Mrs. Cook’s. I came there on Saturday last. I had lived at Mr. Davis’s, Canterbury Hotel, Lyttelton, up to Tuesday last. I had been there about five weeks. I had lived previously at Mr. Paget’s, of Leithfield. I went there from the Immigration Barracks. I came out in the Lancashire Witch, in August last. Before I left England I lived with Mrs. Eichards, wife to a cabinet maker at Port Leven, in the parish of Breague, county of Cornwall, England. My father’s name is Samuel Hosken, a miller at Sethnes mills, at the same place. I have four brothers and three sisters. I came out by myself, as a free immigrant. William James Thomas, a travelling engineer, was murdered by me one night in March, 1867, at Port Leven aforesaid. • He was my sweetheart. I had been out walking with him in the afternoon. Ho went home with me, and we went out again to walk in the evening, down on the Cliff. I stabbed him with a large knife which I took out of Mr. Eichard’s bar. It was a large knife like those used by butchers. I think it was in the breast I stabbed him. I threw the knife into the sea. He fell on the cliff, and he died before I left him. • I went home to Mrs. Eichard. I reached there about, nine o’clock p.m. I did not tell any one. I went to bed. When we went out in the afternoon, we met several, '.amongst them my brother Charles. He spoke to. us. We did not

meet anyone when wo went out at night. Next morning I got up'about three o’clock, and went down to the railway station at Port Leven, and took the six o’clock train to Hale, about sixteen miles from Port Leven. Before I went to the railway station in the morning I went down to the cliff, which is about three small fields from Mrs. Richards’, and saw the dead body of Thomas. I left it there. It had on a light colored small-brimmed round soft sort of hdt; and a black cloth coat. At the time I stabbed him, he had a grey-colored overcoat on his right arm, and when I saw the body in the morning, it was lying by his right side, partly on his body. The body was lying on the bank, rather inclining to the right side. He had on his left hand glove (light kid) ; and the right hand glove - he had clasped in his right hand. He had on, I think, a dark vest; trowsers also dark. There was blood round the body. It was j ust at the grey dawn when I saw it. The cliff was called the Marlow Cliff. It was a good bit away from the footpath. I arrived at ray uncle’s, Charles Hoskins, at Hale at about nine o’clock that morning. My uncle is a shipowner and flour merchant living at Point House, Hale. I said nothing about the murder. I stayed there until six o’clock that evening. It was Tuesday when I took the train and went to London I went on board the Lancashire Witch on Wednesday, and the ship sailed from Gravesend on the 2nd April. Thomas was about 28 years of age. I shall never tell my reason for killing him. He served me very bad. We were to be married. We had been courting about six months, xi short time before I killed him, we had arranged to get married, but he did not come to see me, nor did he write for a long time, and the marriage was broken off. I burnt all his letters. We renewed our acquaintance shortly before I killed him. I believe on the same day. We had no quan el the day I murdered him. When I saw him on that day, I first contemplated the murder. I arranged to meet him purposely to murder him. I don’t know whether his body was ever found, or whether lam suspected of the murder. There is no person that I know in New Zealand from the same place that I come from. The name of the clergyman at Breague is the Rev. Mr. Kidmore. He knew me well. My object in making this statement is, because I can’t rest, always thinking about the murder. Since I came to New Zealand I told one person of the murder. Ido not wish to mention the name of the person I told. I promised I would not do so; I don’t wish to say whether or not the paper I gave to the constable was written by me; That is all I wish to say about the matter. Hester Hoskex. P. Pender, Inspector of Police, Christchurch, Canterbury, N.Z. Alexander Wilson, Constable. ' -- i The prisoner, who had given herself up, was remanded. ; r, .-£ On the following morning the prisoner' was brought up at the Police Court, and several witnesses gave evidence leading to the belief that the prisoner was insane. James Hebbard deposed that he came from" the same part of England, and knew the prisoner’s father. Witness came to 'New Zealand after the prisoner; but never heard of any murder having been committed in the neighbourhood previous to his leaving the country. Prisoner’s mother was in the : lunatic asylum, and he had heard that one of her daughters was insane ; but he could not say the prisoner was the one. Another witness gave similar evidence. Poison was found on the prisoner when searched. She was remanded. —Grey River Argus.