EHT NENTHORN MURDER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 15, 16 December 1884, Page 2

EHT NENTHORN MURDER.

FULLER PARTICULARS. THE CORONER'S INQUEST. After examining the body the first witness examined was Dr McCaw : He stated that he had that day, m conjune- ! tion with Dr Colquohoun, made a " post I mortem ' examination of the body of dei ceased. The deceased was apparently between 40 and 50 year!" of age. The body was much decomposed. The external appearances were as follows : On the face-a^ecent cut under, the left :e.y,ex. lid, superficial m character, and about an inch and a-half long ; laceratiori of the nose on the left side. -There, wjis a quantity of blood oozing from the mouth, a 3jnall scar over the left eyelid, and recent slight lacerations on the left part of ihe forehead. _.On the scalp there wh.s a^ lacerated wouud on the right parietal region, and on the left there was a wpiindftwo inches long.r Qn" the lower part of the heck m ; f rent -there ' were' 1 marks of a bruise. Round the left arm above the . elbow there was a bandage, "and on the left had dressings soaked with blood. The. whole of the left arm was much bruised, and there were' several shght lacerations below' the elbow at ; the back ; also a lacerated wound on the ' ; back of the hand, and two on the palm — the largest about three-quarters of an inch deep and three . inches'; long, iOn the 1 right hand two scars, and 1 on the right upper arm several bruises. The body m front was free from wounds of any kind. On the outer side of the right thieh were two superficial bruises, and on the left thigh there were itwo small lacerated wounds. The examination of the head revealed extravasation of blood under the scalp. There was no injury to the bone or xl brain. The . condition of the brain pointed to a great loss of blood. The(heurt.was healthy m struoture, but the "cavities were'" empty 4 The abdominable organs .were healthy, 'and there was ' rib marks ' of violent^ on them. The" cut • ! on ' th' c hand wasjevi-. dently inflicted by a knife. The other wounds were -probably caused by some blunt instrument : some of them might have been, caused by a blunt knife or a sharp piece of flinty stone. "The cause; of death was probably due to hoemofrh--age ag a "result of the injuries detailed. The majority of the wounds mighHiave been caused by the knife produced. The •cuts on the deceased's clothes,correspozx- ; , ded to the cuts on the body. ■ The fatal hcemrrohage was probably due vtoithe wound on the hand, but there had been ;free bleeding from the wouncls jjn:the Head; ... . •■• <•■■ ...J'/4--, r , 'To Inspector Weldon: Some ofjthe injuries were probably produced] by some blunt instrument. The cut on' the lefi hand probably inflicted with a knife. The knife produced would inflict such! a wound, < j . . -.. 'aTo Mr Dennistbn'r The bleeding might have been stopped within an hour after the wounds had been caused had' proper appliances been used. I exarniried f a wound on Crowley's hand . to-day,' >rid found.' it "injured,' evidenjtlyi from' some blunt ■ instrument.' T!he deceased* was a powerful, muscular man; '; . iWith proper apph'arices ': and treatment 'the bleeding might have been stopped 'said probably the ; man's life saved. Tllere was no evidences of alcohol in -.the system, deceased was apparently about 'five feet eight inches m Jieight. : ' Dr. Colquohoun; a duly-registered medical paaotioneer residing m Dunedin deposed 'that he made a .'post-mortem' examination of the body with : DrMc- f; Caw. , jThe evidence of Dr McCawjwas correct, and he had nothing to add to it... ', ■■■ ■ :'. ' l "■ \: v ■';•'•" Hannah Meldrum, widow; of deceased, stated' that on the Ist December! she was living at-Nenthorne with her husband. AbpUt, nine .caftan. iO'jelpok; id the evening somapeople threw stones oil the houserPid. afterwards some one tore; two. battens off the. end of the building. Meldrum then went into the bedijoorn and witness followed : him, saying, ' what are yougoing to .do ?' f And he replied .(while loading a gun) 'l will shoot; the first one who pulls down my place. 1 He then went: outside with, .the gun and, sat the side of the creek watching. Three-men, Garret (^Fitzgerald), "White tand Crowley were m" the house at! thefee, 'they ;we r «j thW'&rily pieopfe* m| the • house except her Ahußband,V' herself and. .ohild^ ihe lattey.;be t iag;fin, : bc4 r ;lW r hite'' said, ' Garrett, Meldrura's take^,th^;guh ou.t,' . Garrett. rephedj, s, Give me ihy Jftftt. and I'll take the gun fr"6,m him.' White vgave Garrett his- hat I,'and1 ,' and then he went; outside, withes*-:- folibwing. Garret, %3rit 'behind Meldruriii,'wme:he wasj sit-' iting down, and placing his arms around him said- '.Give me, the gun.' Meldrum replied ,' ;No, Garrett, you won't get it.i ißefore' anything further was feaa'd jthey struggled together arid' both ; fell intoj the creek. ( White andGrowley had 'followed . witness and' they Went into- thd ; creek, 'after the other two,; Wheri. witnessj saW the; (four struggling! m the; cr,eek,' she >Wient.away to; . Dee's. .tent,.tp ;> gejt" assistance.-; |J)ee went down jtp • creek and witness remained m his terit'untit his return. , At that time the only 'nois6 she^ 'cpuMKe'ar "washer httsband groaning.' As soon 1 as Dee returned' she .went home, arid just as she arrived, fftt the dodr .of her own plage. ,she hear 4, C}ro^yley ;. say, .' Let , . fls-j murder,, him wlnle . we've got him/, , called out for White and Tom .tiro wley to . come aWayl as she wanted to speak '"to-'tbeiri. Tom > and ' White :^aid : &t the same tune, 4 * We'll do the same to you if yducome" anpther step. 1 • . White aaid, ' We've, come he,'re to do^thiis and.-we intend .to finish it before we Igo. Go inside or. we. 'll pull .your place down,' .; .Witness then'jwent. 4°wn to a marj named Cruise arict -asked! him, to cdme tip.ailcl stay ' with- her, ..as 'dtie* was* frightened. '-Two' men, ■> hained Gardner and McNair, immediatelyafterwards came: to .witness' place, j 'and ■they. "all., .went m together. Her jhusr] band came m a few minutes -later. ' He was all wet. and dirty and 'caveredlwith blood. Witness took off hisclothep and , got him into bead. She. noticed cu^ts on" his legs and cuts all over him. Thiswas about 1 o'clock, doctor was sent for/ and arrived about ,11 o'clock m the 1 morpng. Thev' following morning "by the""d6ctbr's orders, some 14 removed lier husband -on a, stretche?., .They in* tended barrying him as fair '• as- Hindon, on his way to the Hospital. The prisoners present, were, the men she, spoke of as White and Tom Crowley: Witness identified some of the clothes ..produced as those her husband was wearing -when, she put him to bed. Witness- did not isee a shoemaker's knife thaf'belonged to her tjll, .the doctor's arrival. Itltwas' then brought up to the tent by a young njan narned.Vinten., The knife produced was not the one she' referred to, but Wa£j similartoit, ' '';' V' i t- ""'" "■•• Gross-examined by Mr 'DeimJatb^i'Wirite, Crov>ley and Garrett had been a few hours m the place. 'They.-.oaineiiup. abovjt tea- time. She did not jkhbw whether' her husband had' ever; seen Crowley beibre. Knew Garrett wejl. for ie boarded, with heir: There; ; was lliq'ubr m the place, and; ahe sp^ct 8FOg« ; Hey husband was a strong, powerfijl ; iriaril He had not told her there was a. war. rant out against him for assaulting, a woman. Some people had told Meldrum ;in her presence that a warrant wfis but; against him for iniuring a woman with a . tomahawks There had not been ;' much 1 drinking going on m the ;.place,'|uid'h'e*r'i husband y/&£ riot a. .particularly violent iriari wheri he had been driiu^ingj . 'She 1 would swear that she did ribt" 'ask Garr. rett to follow her husband wh|eri,,he went out with the. guri./ .It was; not. a dark night, she thought it was jmqbn- ' lightr' 1 It took about two minutes' to go

down to Dee's tent. When Dee came back he told her not to go near the men for they were mad. She was standing about two chains away from them when they were struggling and must have been watching them for about ,five minutes. There were several tents near to where she was standing but .she did not go to any of them for assistance when she heard the men using threats. From where she was standing she could distinctly see the figures of the men struggling. She left them fighting and went to McDonald's tent. It took her about -five minutes to get there* Shetold McDonald that there were three men at her husband and she did not know whether they were- trying to -kill him or not. '' " --•"•«•- To Mr Weldon : After it was all over, and when my husband was m Gardner's tent, I saw the gun-batfrels m "White's .hans. None of the men w^re yery 'drunk^ White was the soberest of the fofe *':s ■- '■'•■" V ■"•■• t To the i Jury: I' have riot seen tfie shoemaker's knife since the doctor's visiti "when it was produced by JVinten. ' -i James Gardener, labourer,' living at Nenthorhi saidiihat 6n Monday n%hfc ;he wa^ awakened.by.his niiate)(.MsNair). ,'who .said,, ' Get up Jim, there Va|rqw.' Whiliß' dressing he heard ]the soupd of voices. Tie went outside to see whlat Was the matter and just 1 as he reached the door of > the torit'Meldrri'iri'came rushing m and cried out, 7 . 1 Oh protect me, protect me l'~ and threw himself down on a.bunk at the,back of the- tent, He had only been m, about a minute when Larry' the sailor (White), Crowley and Garret (Fitzgerald) came ..up and asked him to -put Meldrum out." Crowley said, 'Put the ' ' '"out,* and then, JDo you want to fight?' Witness replied, .* No ;' and Crowley said j* Wili you tpke the-^-r: —^'s part ?' to which witness Replied,, * No ; hold on a minute, d^aw it mild 1' and went about two steps outside "the 5 dock 1 'Croiwley had a long stick m his hand, and he make two- l or 'welts' at witness with it. Larry ; the sailor^ (White) was standing by and said, [ ' If you 'don't put the out, I'll ! cut yor tent down/ This threat he ■accompanied by a couple of slashes at ;the tentJ Meldrum was wet and bleeding all Over. Garrett said, v ' Don't cut -the tent*'^ Witness Went away arid left jthe three at the tent!' door, Meldrum being inside^ and wenV 'down- the an,d when he came back,iMeldrum was gone. He was a few ! yards ffond the tent lyiii^ on jtiie ground. Pat <3ruise/ jacked him /upjandjbrougtt hini into' wtpessJ^^tent. i They lighted a candle and examined him, and f6und'he'-wa& cut from head tq fop t. <: He was very" thirsty, and drank three pannikins of water. Witness .and ,hfs mate then went .dbwAr .tq Mrs j-Mel : drum s, and while there Melarum ' cime m. " ■•■'"■•■'.■ • T . ToMrW,eid'pn.: When Ireturciea^ the 'tent ttigre 'sigiis bf'diktutba^ice m it. The' billies weile thrownt.down arid broken about, the ' tucker ' hadbeen trampled under ; foot, and there, was blood- all over the ,tent. ,: : - L .■■■,.., ; , , ' .: iTo; the : Coroner: I could ,nbt<, say if the ; men ', WBre , ; drunk. ; , They : appeared to be, wild:. I would say they, ere, mad. ' Mcl^'air, a on! ttiS railway, who lives with; the !last. witness, .gave coroborative testimony: He Vas awakened 'by' cries; of 'Murder I' and on getting up ■ heart! dull . blows, and; a voice saying : . ■> 'Kill tho,. „.' A : minute or two afterwards he heard someone say: 'Where is the knife, and I will cut his throat.' Tnen 'in^a^boisterous sort of way, a man said : 'If we had a ropej here' we would hang him.' . Deceased .earner jgnnpmg into his tent : .aiid^asking (for. „ , , A bout,; a minuteTafterwards three men, Crowfey. W^ite,;and Fitzgerald, came up and qemahded that Meldrum should be put butj if riot they 'would' '■'■ cut ■ : the ■ tettifc down; Witness went away to ariotheir ; terit'to' tryiand I get some assistance. When he got back tMng^were^qmet,;and> he tqok off Meldrum's boots and gave him some water. He was wet, and covered with'Ttfoodl Edward "^inte'n, a navvy at Nenthprn, said that about 9 o'clock on the night oj Monday Fitzgerald and Crowley c^me into Meldrum't house the worse] for h'quor. White /came m afterwards, quite soberi; . Crpwley called for drinks. After some talk Fitzgerald said : 'I am Irish, and we canie here, to . have ajrow' -to-night.' Witness left for his own jtent along , with' three others about 0.30, leaving Crowley, White, and Fitzgerald" m, Meldriuri's:, :.He was sifterwards awakened by a ndise, and 'heard JMrs Meldrum's, daughter* crying. ; He; d^d riot go to see the row: Next morning he went to the. creek for some water. 1 , and foiirid a kiiife^ there.'" I 'He 'shepherded '. ittill 1 the doctor .; ca^je^and^put -it bri r a ; shelf iri.Mrs' Meldruin's bedroom.: There was some candles grease on the handle. ,Thet knite. -pjodupedi (w^plx. stOl jhad of'ihe grease adhereiiig to' it) (was the one found. The day after he saw White, wtib came upland said :■ "\ 7ell, we have settled .the iEnglish ..pugili it at -iWitness; remarked:;]' Yes, you have settled him, I have no doubt, "or I think he will never get over it.' , 1 here^ were two hats and the i "stock' 'of a|gtu> iiii the- eijeek^.pn tKs\morniiig,of the 3rd. He died iust after they! go? ; hiin, across the Deep 'Stream;'* a.t about 9.30.; . ,^ .--.-' -?=■'! ■'/■• ; John Dee^ also gaiyje/ eyidencg) butot an unimportant nature. ., The. 'men seemed in'ad drunk'wlien'he / saw Ihem m the evening. " > • iDr Mcßrearty 'gave evidence' regarding his .visit to Meldrum at Nenthorn on the Tuesday. . He gave evidence regardding .the^wouildsc.qii Meldrum's oody.' : Some of his ribs we fractured. He was very t ;jvea,k.- from ; the loss qt blood, bnt iwas quite- codsla6u^v ; and answered quefttionsvj.cprreotly.j.;fitness stitched the.wounds,, dressed .him, and then ordered ,niaLrembv4.tQ the r ifltospital/ ' Skdiji not think he would have died so Soon. I Ater the .dressing thepatient said he felt .considerably. ibptter.;^. , ' \'.' Jt q : ,'...,. : >J ' To ' Mir Deriniston : Xi X had been! sen t- ; f6r' quickly the man probaiWys have been saved, ... /■• ; ' 1 ' 1 -*- : '--> •■'•■ |t f .Detective Bain gave evidence ofwie' I result of 'his'iftquirietf'iri the^districli, Md produced two-written statements sjigned :by Crowley andWhitei!;;ln these ij; was stated that the quarrel was about a dog,, and the.prisoners ainitted hayiftg struck:" Meldf'uin .in „t^ej fight. •• . | The Jury, after 'about half".^'^^^ .retirement, returned a yerdiQt ojf ' Wilful *Muf der, ; ' premeditated' ■■' arid •'m'alicfious.iy ■ against Crowloy, White, and Fitzgerald.