A Young Girl Brutally Murdered.

Manawatu Herald, 1 May 1897, Page 3

A Young Girl Brutally Murdered.

"' A girl named Alice Mawcock, 16 years of age, whose parents live near Amberley was murdered on Wednesday. She went to the township in the morning for letters and parcels, and as she did not return a search party Was organised, and her body was found concealed under a heap of gorse in a plantation with her throat cut from ear to ear.

A man was seen on the road about the time of the murder.

The police think they have a clue. The spot where the body was found is hardly more than half a mile from the township, and beside one of the main roads leading to Rangiora. The girl was tall and delicate, and it 19 supposed that when she was attacked by the murderer, whose object was evidently outrage, she fainted and was completely at his mercy. This supposition was borne out by the fact that there was no blood on her hands when the body was found. Her clothes were disarranged, and the upper part of them was covered with gorse which had been trimmed from the fence.

A young man named Wm. Dwan, Who was working 800 yards from the spot at the time the crime was supposed to have been committed, heard no sound.

Constable Roche found the man he was in search of in the Star and Garter Hotel, where ha had obtained a shakedown for the night. He at once arrested him. The man renjprkod that be had made a mistake.

The man, who gave his name &d Hngh Fraser, was drsssed in a dark coat and vest, blue serge trousers, soft felt hat, all bis garment? being the worse for wear. He is 22 years of age, smooth faced and has an enlargement of the throat, which is very prominent. He stated he was a native of the West Coast.

This morniDg his was subjected to a thorough examination by Dr Fitzhenry for any traces of the struggle upon his body or limbs. It is known that he called at B. Parsons* place near the plantation and obtained some sugar just before 11 o'clock, and he was seen at the plantation a little later. • ■ The girl would from the time she Uf & her mother*, hou^e a quarter of a mile away have been at this spot at the same hour. These facts are all that are known at present to connect the man with the .crime. In his pocket was found a whitehandled knife with which the crime might have been committed. The blafif and handle showed clean under the microscope, but inside the handle there was a olot of something very muoh like blood. At noon on Thursday Dr Fitzhenry made an examination of the body of the victim, and injuries showed that the murder had been fiendish and determined. Bight wounds were found, four being in the throat. There was a deep" punctured wound on the right side of the mouth, and a contused wound on the left side. There were several incisions on the left and right ear. There was a stab threequarters, of an inch in width over the region of the heart. The front of the girl's dress must have been open when this stab was made, as the out was only through the corset and onderlinen. There was dear evidences that the viotlm had been outraged.