THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 67, 1 September 1880, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

MJSS BLYTH'B STATEMENT. Previous, -IQ— leaving- Wellington Misa Blvlhe made following statement to the Post:— n V-- '-- ■-'-■ ■;;■ 1: ;; / -;.-' Miss Blytbe states on the morning of the tragedy she a-nd .Henderson both at« » good breakfast, indeed, thai be seemed to bare* partici^arl^iTigoroiis^ppetitf, and urged; her to follow his . example,] tejling her it would be btr last nqesl. jjbe decfopes that ffbjs did noiitf the liast iinagin* c that (he was m earnest, but thougbt b» wa« merelj joking. She still at first-believed him to be m je«t when be m ; ied the poison with the lemonade and Jnsisied on her drinking it, t)ut he became Terjr. vi.deat.J and fiercely threatened ,l)er, swearing . that of . ahe did ppt r'qst^ntlj; , drink her sbarebe wonld pour. \t down her throat bj force, and expressing his regret that bis pistols h«d been taken aB-Qtberwif«^he vowed- he would have ' piade si^i-e at once by blowing out her brAinsffiiat, and then his: own, She" (till hesitated, but ultimately, oTeroorqe with terror at his storming, und seetag n.o wa.v'of •scape,,;iash«w»s' prepay ng to •xoute 'his threat o' (forcings it down, her throat, «!i«, by • •udden'iuipalie, y : e'ded, and 'swallowed the poison, he, immediately afterwards following her example. Miss Rljthf sayt^ he took: thw ; strychnine from ft 'sm*&ll blue" paper which he had concealed under the lining of hif hat.rj T_hi« Jaccou.nnsfor, it harm? escaped th'« yraici'jh.\lj vigilance of (he {police. She asserts most positively fliat thei^eritf-whicVtbejiook In* lpokdii as described -that is that be forced her first to take ifc, and then •wallowed his ow^: share.; She also Jallegei with e^u^pAiitirfqefs fehat thfy,. exactly sh«red the poison, he .qai^fuUy diridipg it into twb precisely equal pa«rts def erminend to effect 'hi« purpose, and to prerent any undissolved . strychnine remaining m thf glasses be rinsed'tliem out with< water and compelled her- to Jdriiik ■ her sjmre jof ; ; tbe; ; . rinsings, he twailo^iog .the. lather half. She is very eltar and precise on these points, aad also m asserting that the statmeht that Henderson took a j larger quantity of the., poison than she, and before her, ia incprrsot, as they shared einctly alike, «,nd she drank off her share slightly before iliim, although the twa actions were., as nearly- at possible •imultanebus, ■ The sequal -is well known Miss Blyth^ ia : it should ''.be thoromgbly .^nder^tqod. that the act was

expresses the utmost horror at the idea of suicide, but when at the last monient —not having previously 'supposed'him to be earnest— she was treated so violently by Henderson, and believed that m any case her life was sacrificed j as she was powerless to resist his great strength, and saw thathe was ptr(eotly t reckless and desperatej.no help being at at hand, she seemed to lpse her senses and obey his imperious command as the only way of escaping an instant violent death. It is evident therefore that. the Government acted' judiciously as well as humanely m forebearing ; to prosecute herfor attempted suicide, as ho i proiecution could possibly have been : maintained^ und<sr the circumstances now disclosed. The unhappy, man Henderson, m fact, was really guilty of at tjmpied murder, as well as of Mlfrslaugl;t.ir.':v*ifaiitl7'-Misr 3B .jfrl declaii e » most| solemnly that she and [.he deceased la ' not lived together a? man^iidwii'e,, and that she had not consented to such ft proceeding until, they . were married, which was to be immediately on their arrival at i San Francisco. She implicitly believed his story that he was free to marry, and that he would do so directly they reached"' a jilace where they could be legally united without* tlie consent of her; parents; being, required. •: She indignantly denies tlie truth of the stories that have, been circulated on this head, as also m reference to her state of health, alleging: that ..., all are: wholly Unfounded. She eipresies deep contrition for her conduct m eloping with Hcnderaori, adding that she is unable now to account for her pait infatuation. She is now almost entirely convaUcent, and is beginning to reciTtfr her formir looks and »pirit»., . . .It is bnlj- fair to add 1 that both Miss Blyth and her mother speak m terms of the' warmest gratitude of the kindness they have experienced from Dr. -Driver, who has b^en> unremitting m his attention to the casia,' while refusing to take any fee for his r services. He has; however,,' the professional satisfaction of having performed the very rare" medical feat of saving the- life of a person poisoned with strychnine. — * --.•.•■■•