THE LYSTER’S GAP MURDER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2522, 21 April 1881, Page 2

THE LYSTER’S GAP MURDER.

At the Albury Circuit, before Sir James Martin, C.J., on April 11, Henry Wilkinson, alias Burt, was condemned to death for the murder of Mary Pumpa, at Lyster’s Gap, on the Jindera road, on December 14 last. This case excited great interest, and the Court was crowded throughout the day. No further evidence beyond that adduced at the Police Court was given. It was shown that the prisoner spent the whole of Sunday, December 6, 1880, at Martin Mentz’s wine-shop, on the road half way between Albury and Jindera. Next day he stayed at Henry Mentz’s (Martin Mentz’s son) hotel in Jindera, and left at night, pretending to go towards Wagga. He returned to Lyster’s Gap, and roused up Mary Pumpa, asking her for her money. She gave him all she had, which was a few shillings, and he then fired two shots at her, one in the chest and one at her head, leaving her for dead. He went to old Martin’s room and despatched him in the same waj r , after which he placed mattresses over Mentz’s body, and set fire to the shanty. Meanwhile Mrs Pumpa had taken her child and fled to a neighbor’s. A swagman camped out on the road close by heard shots fired and saw flames, but could save nothing. He reported the matter to the Albury police, who were on the scene within two hours. At 5 o’clock that morning the prisoner Wilkinson turned up again at Henry Mentz’s Hotel, Jindera, coming from the direction of Lyster’s Gap, which is on the opposite road to Wagga, and after having two drinks with the landlord (old Mentz’s son), ho went to sleep on the verandah. There he was shortly afterwards arrested by Sergeant M'Grulfle, of the Albury police, who had been put on his track by Mrs Pumpa. The latter was removed to the Albury Hospital, and confronted with Wilkinson. She identified him as the man who had shot her, and she died of her wounds on i meember 14. The bullets extracted iVom ho- body, and from the charred

; dus ( .r licr father, Martin Mentz, •■vh ■ c ere recover'd! fr-irn the ruins of roe sinniy. ej-aelly fitted Jo, four discharge*)! c,. oners; of the ha-.'ivlled ’■evcl’-a.- f- o-i_ 'Vdhinson ■ denarra'doo Xl> possible ,m. ;ra.ispired for 1 1 1 ■:> , : -. and nno ar- e ... rapted no defence. >li !■ I,ikoch worth, was requested i-y doto undertake the defence of in, . ; ioner, and he did his utmost for his client. When passing sentence of death, His Honor was frequently interrupted by prisoner,

who said he had no fear of death, and had not hoped for a fair trial. The date of the execution will be fixed by the Executive hereafter. On being removed to gaol prisoner lost the defiant manner he had exhibited in Court and collapsed utterly.