THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2187, 22 March 1880, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY.

Some important evidence bearing on the connection of the prisoner Putler, alias Donnelly, with the murder of the Dewar family in Dunedin, was given on Friday. The following is abridged from the “Otago Daily Times,” of Saturday :

Charles Edward Donne deposed : I am a railway stalionmastcr at Wait a Id (Blucskiu). I saw in the dining-room of the Saratoga Hotel, on Sunday night, about 10.10 o’clock, a man who was sitting with his head in his hand, thinking, and apparently restless. He was tired, and yawned several times. A man named Bussell was in the room also. After about 10minutes MrColchan, who was in the bar, remarked, “ What a shocking murder in Cumberland street!” The man immediately sat up erect, and looked steadily at myself and then at Mr Bussell. After this he seemed to be very impatient. The Coroner Had you yourself heard of this murder ? Witness —I had. The man moved uneasily in his chair, took up a book and several times threw it down again. Ho then unbuttoned his coat, and put his hand into his bosom twice. He kept his face shaded by las hands, and he looked at me several times through las lingers. Shortly after that, supper was served to the man, and I left the room. I stood at the parlor door and saw the man leave the dining room. This was from 10 to 15 minutes after I left the dining room. He got his supper, I believe ; I saw him pay the housemaid for it at any rate. 1 saw him put on his hat and leave the house, going towards Waikouaili. The Coroner—How was he dressed ? Witness —He wore a dark blue or black overcoat, lined Avith grey, and a long white scarf, I think this is the overcoat, and the scarf was similar to that. When I saw him the overcoat was buttoned close to the chin. Ho wore a white shirt, and a black soft felt hat. The shirt looked quite clean, but I do not suppose I could recognise it.

I do not remember any other article of | his attire. 1 did not notice his trousers, j As to his personal appearance, he would j be about five Feet eight inches, 81 to 80 years oF age, o£ slender build, dark complexion, clean-shared, small grey eyes, and long aquiline nose. His hair was thin over his forehead, and he had prominent cars. He was carrying nothing, I heard him speak several times to the housemaid, asking first “ May I have some supper?” He spoke ; to no one else. He was asked if ho would | have beer or tea, and he said tea. I also heard him ask how much it was to pay. The Coroner—When did you hear of this murder ? Witness —About 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I had the news transmitted to me by telegraph at the station. I told the landlord of the hotel and the constable. The Coroner—You had no more conversation with him ?

Witness—l believe Mr Eussell spoke to him, but I did not. The Coroner —And how did you come to take so much notice of him ?

"Witness —I became supicious of the man through the fact that I have stated —that when the murder was mentioned he sat up erect in his chair hurriedly. The man did not appear to be inclined to talk. He was taking no notice of the objects in the room. The foreman —Have you mentioned your suspicions to any one in Waitati ? Witness —Yes; after the man left the hotel I said to two or three ladies in the bar, “My mind associates that man with the affair in Cumberland street.”

Ivobert Enin, a detective otlicer stationed in Dunedin, said—About9 o’clock on Sunday morning last, I went to the house of the Dewars in Cumberland street. I saw the deceased Dewar on the bed. I saw a wound on his right temple, and the brains protruding from it. I saw an infant child lying in a cradle in the kitchen, dead ; and I carefully examined the house, thinking a murder had been committed. In the bedroom was a chest of drawers, and I examined that carefully. My impression was, and is now, that these drawers had been turned over by someone seeking for something. The lowest drawers contain men’s wearing apparel—new in appearance ; and the articles were not folded, as they would likely be when put away, but turned over. The centre drawer contained female apparel—a dress, a pair of stays, Ac. The dress looked new, and it was turned over. The top drawers contained small articles and these looked tossed about. I saw the kerosene lamp standing on the floor in front of the wash-hand stand in the bedroom. The globe was broken, and part of it was lying on the floor. There was blood on the broken parts of the globe. I saw nothing in either of the two other rooms that had been disturbed. I examined (he sitting-room window. In front of the window I saw two flowerpots, a saucer, and a stand on the ground; and also a white-handled cheese-knife. The knife I now produce. On the window-sill there were nail marks, some in the centre and others close by the side. The window was shut when I got there. There was a sowing-machine inside the window in the room. The flower-pots, I think, must have been shifted from inside by someone outside. They would not reston the sill outside. They might have been on the ground outside, but I think they had been moved. The knife is bent, and I think had been used to raise the window. I have not been able to find the owner of the knife. Witness described the knife. It was a white handled cheese-knife, wellpolished, apparently having been polished in a machine ; not on a board. It was branded ‘‘Joseph Haywood, Sheffield,” with a kettle or crown above.

Witness continued—On the top of the chest of drawers I saw a jewellery box, and in it a gold brooch and pair of earrings. On the. dressing-table 1 saw a little box containing a man’s gold ring, well worn, with the initials, one of which

—“ J ” —was visible. There was a brass ring in one of the drawers. In a vest in the kitchen there was ;ls 7d in the pocket. I know the overcoat produced. It belongs to a man named Butler, alias Donnelly, alias Midway, alias Lee ; or rather I have seen him wearing it lately. He is a member of the criminal class — a very dangerous one. He was discharged from gaol about a month ago. I have seen him nearly daily since his discharge from gaol : in fact every day until Thursday and .Friday of last week. I saw him on Wednesday about halfpast it I did not see him again until about a quarter to <S on Saturday, the tilth. He bad a scarf the same as the one produced. In the daytime he generally wore a suit all of a sort —the same material ; of a darkish lavender colour with a whitish check ; you might almost cal! it a check pattern. The Coroner said this was important, that the Press might take notice of it, in order that the mystery of the clothes might be cleared up. Witness made a drawing of the pattern, which was handed to the jury.

Witness continued The trousers were a little tight for him. They were new about a month ago. The coat was a short Paget, wilh the button very high up. He had a hard felt hat, and also a soft one. I never saw him with any other suit. At night he wore the black overcoat, but I have seen him with a grey one. Ho wore a white shirt and collar. He told rac about ten days ago that lie had thrown his carpetbag and all his other clothes away. That same morning he told me he had serious thoughts of jumping off the wharf and drowning himself. He was desponding. On Saturday night I left my house in St. David street about twcnt} r minutes or a quarter to eight o’clock. I saw Butler coming round the corner from David street into King street. Immediately on reaching King street he turned back ; and then he turned again and came to speak to me. I said, “ Butler, you promised to meet me to-niglit in the Octagon at half-past eight.” He said, “ Yes ; but it’s more than that now.” I said, “ Yo ; it wants a quarter to eight still. AYill you meet me there at halfpast eight ?” He said “ Yes,” and walked along the street towards town. I got into the traracar. He was then dressed in the suit I have described, with the hard felt hat and white shirt and collar. I waited for an hour at the Octagon, but bo did not come. I next saw him on Tuesday morning in the Police Court. I never saw the clothing he was wearing on Tuesday morning previously, with the exception of the hat, boots, shirt, and collar. He bad on a dark cloth Paget coat and striped tweed trousers. They were not new clothes. I do not know where ho got them. With the exception of two or throe days, I had seen him every day

after be came out of gaol two or three times. He had been doing nothing. On Monday, the Bth, when he asked me if I could get a job for him, he seemed to me to be getting desperate. Ho was desponding and brooding, and he had a nervous twitching, although he always had a nervous way with him. He said, “ I want to do well for myself this time ; I want to get work, because if I break loose again I'll be one of the most desperate tigers ever let loose in the colony.” I said he was very foolish ; that if he did anything there were able men to cope with him. He seemed anxious to get work. It was the first time lie had spoken about manual labor. He had spoken about getting an introduction to (he editor of some of the papers, in order to write a series of articles for them. (Laughter). He was getting money occasionally from friends. When I saw him on Saturday night he was in his usual dress, was clean shaved, with a large fair moustache. When I next saw him on Tuesday ho had no moustache. Sarah Gillespie deposed—l am servant at Mr M’Nicol’s Scotia Hotel, at the corner of Leith and Dundas streets. On Thursday night last week a man slept at the hotel, who came there about half-past nine on Thursday morning. He was a medium-sized man, very thin, with a fair sandy moustache. He was dressed in a suit all alike —dark brown, with a small white check in it. He had a hard felt hat on. He had a blue topcoat and a white muffler. The coat and mufller produced are the ones he had. He had a brown paper parcel, about the same size as if it contained a suit of clothes. I saw the same man in gaol the day before yesterday. He had not the same clothes on, and his moustache was off. After breakfast on Thursday he was playing the piano nearly all day. In the evening he went out, saying he intended to go to the theatre, but I don’t think he did, because I saw him in the house between eight and nine o’clock. He was playing cards. He slept in the house that night. On Friday he got up between nine and ten, and got breakfast then. Ho played the piano on and off all day. He had tea at six o’clock, and said he was going to the Port; that he was anxious to get there. I saw no more of him until Sunday morning at twenty-five minutes to seveu. On the Sunday morning when I opened the door he was standing outside. I did not hear him knock. He came in. He asked me if MrM’Nicolwas up. I said he was not. He gave me 3s to give Mr M'Nieol. He said he would go and get his things, as he had to go “by the 10 past 7.” I suppose he meant the train. He went up stairs, and when he came down he had his top coat on and muffler. He went out and stood a few minutes at the corner, looking up the street. He came back again ami bad a pint of beer, for which he paid me. 1 saw him then go round the comer. That was the last I saw of him. The Coroner—Was there anything you noticed about him p Witness—He looked excited, as if there was someone after him. The Coroner —Just describe it as it seemed to yon. Witness —Ho looked white, and trembled. I thought it was the cold that made him shiver. He had his topcoat buttoned over something. It projected out of the coat. I could not form an opinion as to what it was. He was in a minute or two before I saw it. Then lie went upstairs. He looked veiy white. I never saw him so white before. He is white usually. In asking for the beer lie said, “ I have not had my breakfast yet.” I did not say anything to him. The Coroner—Did yon notice any spots on him of any kind ? Witness —No, not on his clothes. His boots were covered all over with mud, as if he had been up to his ankles in mud. I noticed none on his trousers. It had been raining in the night, but the streets were not mnddv.

James Andrew Townsend deposed— I am a police constable, stationed at Waikouaiti. On Monday, March 15,1 went towards Merton until I had got about live miles from Waikouaiti. About 100 yards in front of me I saw a man go off the road and slip behind a flax bush. About a minute or two after that Constable Colbourne came from Blueskin, and we met. I said; “Is that the man that’s gone behind the flax-bush that wo To looking for P ” He said “ Yes." 1 then said to Constable Coulbourne: “ You come on quietly; I’ll go on the other side of him, so that he can’t escape.” After I got past the man a few yards I stepped off the road and walked up the ditch looking for the man. I saw him lying in a flax bush, iu which he appeared to be hiding. I said, “ Hillo ! where did you come from F ” He said, “I came from Waikouaiti. AY by do you ask me that P Are you looking for anybody?” ‘‘Ob,” I said, “not particularly.” By Ibis time Constable Colbourne came up. I said, “ Here is a man that says he came fromAYaikouaiti, Colbourne.” He thou jumped on his feet, stepped back about three paces and presented this revolver. He presented it at me, and then moved it from one to the other of us, as if he did not know which to lire at. AVc rushed at him and jambed him against the bank. The Coroner —AVhy did he not fire ? AATtness —I don’t know, sir. I scarcely think he had time—wc rushed at him so quickly. When wc got him down and got the revolver from him, he cried “ I surrender ” several times. I searched him, and I took from him an operaglass, two tins c£ salmon, a purse containing Is LOd, a pocket book with two papers in it. Inspector Mallard explained that one of these papers was a mask perforated ; the other was a copy of the letter he wrote to (he Judge at the time of his trial for burglary. AVituess continued —I also took a piece of candle from him, II cartridges, a box of matches, a piece of music. After I had taken everything from him he asked me what I intended to charge him with. I (old him with attempting to shoot us while iu the execution of our duty. He said, “If that’s all, I don’t care.” Ho asked me three or four times going up the road what I was going to charge him with. I said I had already told him. He also said, “ I intended to shoot the first man that interfered with me.” I asked him how he did not shoot me when I came on him at the flax bush. He said, “ I don’t know what it was; something kept me from doing it.” I examined him in the lock-up at AVailionaili. There appeared to be throe or four spots about the neck and front of his shirt, but I could not say whether they were of blood. I examined his hands and arms but I could not see any blood on them. Inspector Mallard came up to AATiikouaiti about half-past 7 in the evening, and saw the man in the lockup. He asked him what he had done with the clothes'—

The Coroner —Yes; Inspector Mallard will tell xis that. Did the man say anything about this occurrence. Witness—No ; except that he wanted very badly to know what I charged him with. His moustache was cut off close —it seemed with a pair of scissors. He seemed very excited. I shall never forget his looks, as long as I live, when he presented the revolver. He had a most devilish look. The Coroner at this stage intimated that it might be advisable to adjourn. FINDING OF BUTLER’S CLOTHES. On Saturday afternoon the Dunedin Town Belt ranger, Mr Youngman, found a coat, which has since been identified as Butler’s, and also a salmon tin, near the Northern Cemetery ; and yesterday, in the same neighborhood, a couple of salmon tins were found, and a hat. The;: salmon tins have been identified as corresponding with five tins which Butler purchased as he was leaving Dunedin, and the Northern Cemetery lay ohhis road to Blueskin. The hearing of the charges against him was commenced in the gaol this morning.