THE STORY OF HUSLER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4373, 26 March 1875, Page 3

THE STORY OF HUSLER.

(From the Melbourne correspondent of the Bendigo Adveriscr.) Melbourne, February 23. The trial of Joseph Busier, for the murder of his wife, Mary Ann Husler, proceeded at the Central Criminal Court this morning, before his Honor Mr. Justice Fellows. Mr. Johnson, Government analytical chemist, was called, who deposed that he had examined three knives produced; two of them bore no tx-aces of blood. The blade of the third one was perfectly clean, but in the slit into which the lax-ger blade shut, he discovered some dried spots of blood which, upon being examined under the microscope, proved to be that of a human being. He also found human blood upon the truncheon. He had not the slightest doubt that it was human blood ; but coxxld not say how long it had been upon the instruments. There was no trace of blood upon any of the clothes found upon the prisoner. Dr. McCrae deposed that he first saw the prisoner at the Melbourne Gaol on the evening of the 3rd of October. He was then in a state of delirium tremens. He was talking very incoherently for some time. He treated prisoner for delirium tremens , and he gradually improved,-, but. still seemed to labor under a great many delusions, most particularly iu reference to his late wife. He x-epeatedly assorted that the.person killed was not his wife at all, but was a dummy. He also ■ told the doctor that he had a brother who was in love with his wife before he married’ her, and that the woman living with him was not his wife, who, he said, was living until his brother in Prahran. Captain Logan, of the s.s. Hero, he imagined to he this brother in disguise. He said that he had been rcpeatedly drugged in New Zealand, and that the deceased had had a hand in drugging him. After Husler had become rational upon every other subject, he retained the delusion about his wife living with his brother, and said that he remained with the deceased more on account of the children than anything ’ else. Prisoner said he remembered nothing for three days before the murder, but afterwards said that on the evening of the 2nd October he drank a glass of brandy into which something bitter had been put. The doctor considered that prisoner was not sane until December, which was two mouths after the murder. life was insane from drink when fii’st brought to the gaol. He was xvot fit to be put upon his trial in December, as he was then still laboring under the delusion about his brother. Dr. Paley stated that he examined the prisoner in October, when he was insane from drink. He had a delusion that an attempt had been made to poison him in the gaol by passing a glass of poison through the wall. All those delusions were caused by excessive drinking. He was perfectly sane now. Sex-geant Grant, recalled, stated that he found the bottle of laudanum looked up in a writing desk in the bedroom. The jury retired about half-past one to consider their verdict, and returned into court at twenty minutes past two with a verdict of « Not guilty,” on the ground of insanity. His Honor then ordered the prisoner to be kept iu strict custody in her Majesty’s gaol at Melbourne iu the same maimer as a prisoner awaiting trial, puti! his Excellency the Governor’s pleasure with regard to him should be known.