THE LATE FATALITY AT PAKIRI.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4160, 21 July 1874, Page 3

THE LATE FATALITY AT PAKIRI.

The following particular's of a shocking occurrence which terminated in the death of a woman at Pakiri, are furnished by the Southern Cross :— A settler named Charles Dyer has lived for many years upon the Pakiri river, engaged in the timber trade, and has done a large amount of business in balk and sawn timber, palings, shingles, &c. Dyer is a widower, and it would appear that he has for some time past been living with a woman named Eliza Battersea in anything but bonds of amity, the spirit of jealousy having poisoned his whole nature. Dyer’s place is a short distance up the Pakiri river, situated at a snug little bend of the river, and the ketch Prince Kupert anchored at no great distance from Dyer’s house. On Thursday last, he is said to have made a most violent and brutal assault upon the woman with whom he was living. Not content with beating her, he is said to have taken a quantity of kerosene oil, poured it over her, especially about her head, and then set fire to it. In an instaflt the unfortunate woman was wrapped in a sheet of flame, and seeing what he had done, he snatched up a sack which was lying upon the floor, and wrapped it round her body, took her to the river and threw her into the tidal water, A man working for Dyer, named Watson, saw her in the water, and at once went to her assistance. He succeeded, with some difficulty, in getting her out of the river, and, with the assistance of Dyer, got her removed to the house. Mr. George Sharp, another employe of Dyer’s, was then sent for, and when he arrived' he found the woman sitting on the floor in a most horrible condition. All the hair was burned off her head, her clothes burnt to her waist, and the whole of the upper part of her body was half roasted. She was also sadly besmeared with mud which had adhered to her when thrown into the river. After some time Mr. Sharp succeeded in getting some of the mud washed off, and the unfortunate woman placed in bed. Her wounds were dressed with, salad oil and flour, the only articles which were available for the purpose at the time. A son of the accused, Ellis Dyer, got a horse and at once went in search of the constable, who had, but a short time previous to the assault, been in the house for the purpose of investigating a reported robbery. The constable was overtaken about eight miles from Dyer’s house, and at once returned with the messenger, accompanied by a settler named Thomas Burns. Dyers was then arrested, and on the following day was placed on board the Prince Kupert along ■with the unfortunate woman, who still lived, for the purpose of being taken to Auckland. It is stated that there was only a little girl in the house when the kerosene oil ignited, but we understand that Dyer admits having thrown the woman into the river, although he denies having set fire to her. His account of the fire kindling is, that she knocked a kerosene oil tin down with her head, that the oil flowed over her person, and that he was in the act of striking a match at the time to light his pipe, which accidentally ignited the spilled kerosene oil. When the Prince Kupert left Pakiri the poor woman wat still alive, and in a semi-unconscious state. She must have suffered intense agony before death relieved her of suffering, which took place when the vessel was between Tiritiri and Kangitoto Keef. Dyer is about fifty-four years of age, and has been in the Province for the last thirty-three years. The deceased was about forty-three years of age. It is to be hoped that the evidence may show that the grave suspicion is unfounded, and that his account of the lamentable occurrence is the correct one.