DREADFUL HOMICIDE AT HOWICK.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 755, 9 July 1853, Page 3

DREADFUL HOMICIDE AT HOWICK.

Coroners Inquest

It is our painful duly to record that this usually peaceable village has been I he scene of a tragedy of the most appalling character, being no less than the killing of a wife by her own husband. The name of the victim was Alary Moore; and there can he no doubt dial the wounds, which, in a short lime issued in her death, were inflicted by (he hand of her husband, William Moore, a pensioner. The only point which appears open to question is the sanity of the wretched perpetrator of the deed ; hut on this we do not deem it within our province to offer any opinion, as, doubtless, it will hereafter receive the fullest investigation. Meanwhile, we lay before our readers the facts of the frightful case, as they were given in evidence at an inquest held at Howick before Capt. Macdonald, coroner, on the 27th ultimo. John McNamara, of the armed police force, deposed, that about seven o’clock on the morning of the 2blh of June, having received information that William Moore was ill-using his wife in his cottage, he repaired to the place. He met the prisoner's son, a boy about ten years of age, who told him thsl his father had slabbed his mother with a shoemaker’s knife. Proceeding to the collage, witness observed a quantity of blood outside the door. On entering, he asked the prisoner what he had been doing to his wife; he replied, that she would tell him all about lhaL He found the knife now produced on the seal where prisoner usually worked at his shoeraaking business. • It had a stain of blood on the blade. Deceased was lying on a bed.— Witness asked her what had been done to her by her husband ; on seeing the knife she exclaimed that that was what he had stabbed her with, and added, that “ her belly was in great pain.” Witness subsequently took the prisoner to the lock-up. Williarn Moore, son of the prisoner (the boy referred to by the preceding witness) deposed, that, on the Saturday morning before, he was going out of the collage,, hut his father pulled him back, locked the door, and stabbed his mother with a knife which lie had previously been sharpening to cut leather for a pair of shoes for

his mother. After he had slabbed her the first time, he asked her to show him the wound, and then he slabbed her.twice more, (Witness here identified the knife.) His father had not been drinking. His father sometimes quarrelled with his mother, and once before look a knife to her but did not then cut her with it. His mother had always been kind to himself, his sister, and his father.

Anne Sheard, wife of John Sheard, pensioner who lives in the collage adjoining that of William Moore, deposed that on Saturday morning she heard Mrs. Moore “ screech” three times, and soon after she saw her outside her own gale, vvhen she cried “ Murder,” and went towards Organ s cottage, into which Mr. and Mrs. Organ assisted her. She seemed very weak, and said she had been slabbed by her husband, and that he was a very bad man. Witness had considered deceased a very quiet and peaceable neighbour. Never heard Moore threaten his wife ; but thinks, from his conduct of late, that lie was notin his right senses; she does not think, however, it was through drink. Frances Organ, wife of Uichard Organ, pensioner, deposed that as she was coming out of her gate, she heard a scream, and saw Mrs. Moore in a stooping position opposite Mr. Sheard’s gate ; thought that Moore, in addition to putting his wife out, as he had been in the habit of doing, had struck her. Mrs. Sheard called witness to come over to her assistance, but before she could get across, Moon came out, look her by (he hand, and said, “ Come in doors.” Mrs. Sheard said, “ You murdering villain, what have you done?” He turned round to Mrs, Sheard, held up his linger, and said, “Her blood is.upon your head and mine; 1 have been brought up to doit; look at (hose two children,” his own son William and one of Sheard s, who were then in the sheet. After she had, with (he aid of two neighbours, taken her into her house, Mrs. Moore said, “ After 1 had been slabbed by my husband the first time, I said, k William, (here is blood,’ and he replied, ‘ Let me see,’ which I refused; he then twisted a knife round and said, 1 1 have a knife which I can rip your belly up with,’ after which he stabbed me twice.” Dr. Bacol came shortly after, and gave them permission to carry her to her own house in a sheet, which (hey did. In taking off deceased's slays, witness found them cut through in two places. The knife produced by the policeman is the one which deceased identified as that with which her husband had slabbed her.

Dr. Bacol deposed that ho was sent for about half-past 8 o’clock on Saturday morning (o see Mrs. Moore. On examination, he found two wounds, apparently from a sharp weapon, one on each side of the navel. There w'as no great amount of bleeding, hulshcsunk gradually until Sunday night, when she died. On making a post mortem examination, he found that the weapon had penetrated in both places into the cavity of the belly ; and, on the left side, (he small intestines had been pierced. Great bleeding had taken place internally, which, in his opinion, was the immediate cause of death.— Witness saw the prisoner, Moore, afterwards. He was in Lad health, and shewed a tendency to insanity, hut he (wdlness) considered him al the time capable of judging right from wrong.— Moore had often stated to him (witness) that his wife had attempted to poison him by putting opium in his tea.

After the examination of one or two other witnesses, who were present when deceased died, the jury returned as their verdict — u That Mary Moore came to her death by wounds inflicted on her person by her husband, William Moore, on the morning of the 231h June, 1835, and of which wounds she died al Howick on the night of the 2Glh June, J833.”