MISERABLE MURTAGH.

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 4

MISERABLE MURTAGH.

A JOCKEY, A BABY, AND

A RAZOR.

Slashes at His Illegitimate

Child.

The Spert and His Woman's " Spoof."

'A : case of exceptional interest was heard m Wellington Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, when Edward Murtagh, the well-known jockey, was charged with wounding, on October 11. his infant illegitimate child, Tui Leigh, by slashing at it with a razor. Chief Detective MeG-rath appeared for the prosecution, and Solicitor Herdman defended.

Frances Ellen Leigh said she was residing at 5 McDonald Crescent, and was the wife of Harry Leigh, from whom she had heen living apart for nearly four years. Murtagh and herself had heen living together as man and wife of! and on for a period of three years. Her female child Tui, aged two years; owed its paternity to Murtagh, who had a roonl* m the same boarding-house with Frances Ellen, and she had heen residing there ten days only. The pair Conversed every night and sometimes m the day, and the 3 r oungster was sometimes the subject of discussion. Latterly he refused to give any money to support the unlicensed infant, and on Thursday, 10th on the present month, he was to have called at the Arcadia Hotel to give her £15

HE HAD STOLEN FROM HER, but failed to put m an appearance. She saw him up at the boardinghouse on the same night, and she said, "Have you got the money ?" He replied, "I will see you m the morning." On Friday at 11 a.m. he came into the. house for his belongings, and she asked him to tell her for the last time what he intended doing ; if he intended to give her the money. He replied, No ; that he had bought a new suit of clothes and other things with it, and there was no chance of getting the money till he got into work again. She said, "If you give me my £15 I will go away from you altogether." He repeated that it was useless to aslc him for the money. She wanted to know what he was going to do about the child, and he replied, "Give the thing awayput it m a home." She said she would do nothing of the kind, and he rejoined that he wouldn't give her a penny to support it. He remarked further that she had no hold over him, as he had registered the kid m Harry Leigh's name, and had made himself secure m every way. Murtagh caught hold of his temporary spouse, threw her on her side on the bed and said, "If you come near me I'll murder you." He then punched her and kicked her, and she still bore the marks of the injuries. She started crying, and when the child saw the commotion it added its wails to the chorus. Murtagh exclaimed ,"You little b- — " ; and lifted the dress of the crying infant and slashed its thigh with a weapon, which she subsequently found to be a razor. Murtagh put the shaving instrument on a chest of drawers. He remarked, "That's What I think of the both of you. ; perhaps you've had enough ;

ATTEND TO THE KID." Accused went to the door, but returned and pulled the child out of the mother's armp, exelaimang : "Tell those people nothing. Say you did it yourself." A daughter of the landlady was m the passage and the distracted mother told her what had happened. Murtagh observed, "It's all right. I'll take her to a doctor ; it will have to be stitched." A nurse named Miss West carried the child downstairs. The mother went for a doctor, and Murtagh also left house. Murtagh accosted her m the street and said, "Where are you going ? I suppose you are going for the police." She said nothing, but passed on, followed by Murtagh, who accompanied her to the residences of several medical persons until they found one (a lady) at home. When they returned to their lodgings, Murtagh remarked to the child, "Never mind, Tui, you'll soon get better" ; then, turning to those present, said. "I wonder how she got hold of it." The belongings which Murtagh came to the house fol' were placed m Nurse West's room, by Mrs Leigh, and the nurse was to tell Murtagh' s paramour if Murtagh returned to the house. The razor was amongst these belongings. To Mr Herdmah : Murtagh didn't invite her to come to McDonaldCrescent. She denied that he hart wanted to separate from her before she returned to Wellington on the second occasion. They had been m Svdnc- and when they returned, Murtagh took £15 of her money, leaving, a note to the effect that he had ?one to Hawera to train a horse, and would ■ repay her the money at that place. SHE COMPLAINED TO THE HAWERA POLICE about the theffc but had destroyed Murtagh's note. She took Murtagh's clothes and other belongings from Murtagh's room and put them m the nurse's room because he had been putting her off about the money ; she was afraid he would clear out, and he would be compelled to come and see her. She didn't authorise the registration of the child m the name of her husband, Harry Leigh, but m her own name. On the nip/lit previous to the wounding, Murtagh had not told her he had got married. The. only reference to marriaee made by him was, "I'.ll go and dig up a moll and marry her, and get rid of you." She didn't throw a bottle of cascara at him and hit him on the elbow, nor had she threatened to cut up his clothes. She didn't say to him, "You won't get out of this room alive." During the three years that they were intimate, Murtagh had given her money occasionally. She paid her own passage to Sydney, and she was now surprised to hear that on the voyage across Murtagh had lost £200 out of To' Chief Detective McGrath : The I reason why they went to Sydney 'was,' she told Murtagh she had £50, land' he mip+jt obtain work on the I oilier side. Portion of that £50 was HPfd for the trin. oMninprl her £ir> sunso«i">ntlv n . rnso. He font im a note iH'inn: 'faer that a Afr Fraser, who was

staying at the Royal Oak Hotel, I had offered him a iob at £1 a I woek and a home to live m, and he ] asked her to °-o to the hotel. She went down, leaving £15 m her room. Murtagh and the mythical Fraser were invisible at the pub, and she returned to McDonald Crescent to find her money gone. Murtagh left the note already mentioned m. • her room, directing her to Haw-era. She went to Hawera, where she got another note from Murtagh's brother saving that the elusive racing man had gone to Auckland. She decided to search Rangitikei first, and finding that he was not there, she went on to Auckland, where MURTAGH WAS EQUALLY SCARCE. She came back to Wellington to find that Murtagh had never been out. of the Empire City. Dr. Pigeon deposed that the wound was just above the bend of the knee of the left leg. and the incision was Sin. lonf and lin. deep, and at riffht angles to the limb. He didn't think the wound cound have been self-inflicted. The child wa9 practically better now. At this stage, owing to the indisposition of the Magistrate, the case was adjourned till the following Friday. When the case was resumed yesterday morning. Chief Detective McGrath applied to have the hearing adjourned till the 23rd inst. on the ground of the illness of one of Ihe witnesses. The application was granted.