SETTING FIRE TO A WIFE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue XIV, 2 April 1879, Page 4

SETTING FIRE TO A WIFE.

(Sydney Morning Herald ISt'h March.)

An inquest on the body of Sarah Maguire, the victim of the Princpstreet tragedy, was commenced on Wednesday morning, in the Wd-roora of the Sydney Infirmary, and concluded yesterday eveniog. Thomas Magoire, the husband ot the deceased, was present io the custody of the police, under suspicion of haviog cauaed her death.

The dying deposition of the deceased Sarah Maguire was put in as evidence, und was to the following .i(_BCt.-"I do not believe myself to be dying. I only feel a great deal of pain, nnd nra very ill throueh fright. Prisoner (Thomas Maetiire) ie my husband, and we reside at No. 9, Prince street, I r»'»d b light frock on this morning (Saturday, the Ist instant), and I and die prisoner quarrelled, and I pot. my tend op tbe chimney because I thought prisoner wen .oing to bit me. There WDg a fire in the fireplace, and my clothes caught fire aod bbfeed up. I Bcreamed out an_ ran into the yard, and my bus Und got a blanket and put it roun_i tGe. He then put some salad oil _nd flour on ray burns. A woman ordered me to put some kerosene 00, and I did so. My husbaud v.BB in a different room when I caught fire at the kitcken fireplace. We quarrelled in the kitcken, and he •went away from me. I have not told anyone that prisoner set fire to me. The horning was an accident. I saw the fire when I got into the fireplace, bat I stood on the hob, thinking I would not get burnt. Iran into the yard when I caught lire. As a rule I am on good terms with the pHsoher, but we quarrel occasionally. 1 had no drink yesterday (28th ult). When prisoner left the kitchen I thought he was going to get something to strike me with, and I put my head np tbe chimney. I was on fire before he returned.

Thomas Maguire, 12 years of age, •deposed that he was the son of the deceased and Thomas Maguire, the man before the Court, and resided wiih them at No. 9, Pfince-street. On tbe morning of Saturday, ihe let inst., lie ■was sleeping in the yard with his mother, his father having put them out of the bouse about 10 o'clock on Friday night. About 2 o'clock on Saturday morning witness's father woke bim by hitting him on the side of tbe head. At the Water Police-court, witness hi d said that his father had kicked him, out this was a mistake, When his father struck witness be told him to po inside, and witness went into the houßo and upstairs, leaving his mother and father quarrelling ia the kitchen. Shortly afterwards he beard hia mother cry out, "Oh! Tom, don't hit me," and then his father called out to him to come down a get and light. He went downstairs, and went into the front room, where there was a candle, which he lighted, and banded it to his father, •who walked into the kitchen, carrying the lighted candle in his hand. Witness saw bis father place the lighted candle on Ihe table, and be (witness) went upstairs again. A few minutes afterwards his father called out to him, an 1 on coming downstairs into the kitchen again he saw his father and mother standing before tbe fireplace. Maguire bad a hammer in his band, aod shortly afterwards witness came into the room, he (Maguire) struck tbe deceased on tbe right shoulder. A second blow followed, but this the deceased dodged. She then, to avoid further blows, got into the empty fireplace, and put her head and shoulders up the chimney. Maguire said to witness, " I'll soon take her out of that; go and fetch me a piece of paper." Witness replied, " I can't see any about, ' and walked into the front room. Maguire followed him, and, pointing to a piece of paper on the floor, said "Are you blind? look there." Witness handed him the paper, and Maguire took it into the kitchen where the deceased was still standing in tbe fireplace. Maguire twisted up the piece of paper, and lighting it in tbe candle, went to tbe fire place, lifted ap his wife's dress and deliberately set fire to it with the lighted piece of paper. Witness was quite certain of this. He was in tbe room when it took place and saw it ail distinctly. The deceased had on a dress of light material, and it blazed up as boo a as Maguire bad put the lighted piece of paper to it. When the deceased's clothes blazed up she came out of the chimney, and rushed into the yard shrieking •• Murder, put me out, put me out." Maguire told witness to get a bucket of water, and witness dia so, and threw it over the deceased who was in a blaze. He then went to get another bucket and in coming back found his father wrapping the deceased in a blanket. The deceased said, "Tom, you done it this time." Maguire said, "No, 1 never, you done it yourself," •nd the deceased repeated several times, "You done it." When Maguire had put out tbe flames be assisted his wife indoors. About a quarter of an hour afterwards the police came. Witness was sure his mother was sober that morning, but did not know whether his father was drunk or sober. He brought his father two gills of rum the evening before. Witness could swear tbat the deceased's drees did not catch fire through a piece of paper being thrown into the fireplace after Maguire had lit hia pipe with it, but it was deliberately set •light to by Maguire. Could swear there was no fire in the fireplace, when the deceased got into it. After the police bad gone away that morning,

winßgß's father told him not to tell the truth, adding, " You tell them, if they a&k yon, that you were in feeVl, and said that I called you doWn to get a bucket of water to put hrr out, and tell them that you got a bucket of water, and that I got the blankets and put them round her," After the second visit of the police* Maguire said to witness, " You tell a lie, and I will be all right.-" When Maguire lit the t>aper at the candle witness knew what he was going to do with it. He knew that from his father saying, "I'll soon take her out of that." Witness gave him the paper, believing that he was going to set fire to his mother with it. Maguire and the deceased were in the habit of quarrelling. Witness never took his mother's part in these quarrels. Tbe quarrels were generally about the drunken habits of the deceased, who was given to intemperauce.

Dr. Richard 1. reati, resident medical officer of tlte Sydney Infirmary, admitted the deceased to the Infirmary on the lst inst. She was extensively burnt over the back, thighs and arms. Witness did not observe marks of any other injuries upon her. It was possible for a bruise to have existed on ber shoulder without it being noticed by witness. The woman gradually sank, and died on Wednesday last from tetanus, induced by the burns. Thejury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of wilful murder against Thomas Maguire, sen., who was accordingly committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Central Criminal Court, on the 12th May neict.