THE PALMERSTON TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2114, 13 April 1920, Page 2

THE PALMERSTON TRAGEDY.

ARREST OK DEELEV. A Tier the linding of tin 1 body of: Mrs Mary Etheline Webby at Terrace End on (lie morning of March .KSili, with her throat cut. a warrant was issued for 1 lie arrest of Harry Dooley, who was known to have boon with lie:- woman on the previous day. Aft or Ihe tragedy inquiry was made by the poliee lor Dooley, but for a lime all (Heir efforts lo trace him were 'witlimit: result, and nothing could bo learnt of his movements alter March 171 h. 'Plum, a reward of £2OO was offered by the (Jovorninenf for information leading to the arrest of the missing man. For a long time no trace of his whereabouts could bo found, but at hist il was discovered (hat he was iiHlie Kairanga' district. On Sunday, reports the Standard, Senior-Sergeant Fraser and. Constable Cow proceed'd io a property on Flygers line, Kairanga, situated some three or four miles from Palmerston North. A search was made of the property

and Deeiey was discovered in a hayloft lying under several feet of hay. Tin* man was brought out, and he was arrested without, offering any resistance. Tie was at once brought in Palmerston North in a cut', and about four o'clock, after being searched, he was lodged in (he lock-up. JJe appeared lo he in a dazed conditnmJmrTiii 1 . RftL-Kmu to have suffered from any lack of food. Deeiey was‘attired in a suit of what is generally known as “pepper and salt'’ colour, and was wearing an old soft fell hat. He had a watch, but Hie money in bis possession consisted of only two sixpenny pieces. One of his pockets contained a soldier’s pay book and a number of papers, one of which was an authority to wear the returned soldiers’ badge. lie also had a beard of apparently some weeks’ growth. Alt bough it is nol delinil ely known who will gel the £2(10 reward offered, it is understood that it will not go to the poliee officers. The woman alleged to have been murdered was middle aged, and had been married for some years lo Felix AVebby, with whom she resided in Mattson Street, having one child, a girl about eight years of age. The accused Deeiey is a single man about 3(5 years of age, and is a returned soldier.

ACCUSED DEMANDED. Tlnmieensed man was brought before the Magistrate (Mr.). D. Stout) yesterday morning, and charged “that on or about the 17th day of March, 1!)20, at Palmerston North, he did kill one Mary Eiheline Webby,” The accused, who was not represented by counsel, did not say a word. Detective-Sergeant Quirke asked for a remand until the 20th inst., at 10 a.in. The Magistrate granted the remand asked lor, and accused was' aloneo taken away to the cells, the whole proceedings not lasting live minutes. During the short time he was in Court Deeley appeared to be

quite unmoved. Deeiey was hi ken under escort by train to Wellington yesterday, and will be brought back to Palmerston North again next week to answer the charge against him.

With the expectation of catching a sight of the accused man, there was a largo crowd of spectators, all men, iti.the Palmerston Magistrate’s Court yesterday (says the Standard), the portion reserved for the public being crowded before ten o’clock. They wailed more or less patiently from the time the ordinary business commenced at a quarter to eleven until it concluded about halfpast eleven, and when the clerk-an-nounced that the Court was adjourned the crowd faded away disappointed. Ten minutes later the si censed" was brought into Court and placed in the

prisoners’ dock, As soon as the Magistrate {Mr J, L. -Siout, S.M.) took his seat the accused stood up, and the clerk of the Court -at once read out the charge. By this time the only peo=- ( pie in Court were the police, the Corny oiticinls, reporters, and about half-a-dozen of the public.