THE MURDER AT ROXBURGH.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2866, 1 June 1882, Page 2

THE MURDER AT ROXBURGH.

FUfjtilSll PARTICULARS, [By Tblegbaph.j Dunedin, May ill. The following are the fuller details of the Miller’s Elat murder, now to hand: — On (Saturday evening, about ton

minutes past six o'clock, a dreadful j tragedy occurred at Miller’s Plat. A : miner residing there, named John Kitto, went to the residence of one of his sons-in-law, Joseph Augustus Roggiero, a minor, also a resident of Miller’s Plat, and without giving any warning deliberately fired a gun loaded with ball through a window of the house, shooting Eoggiero (who was silting by the fire nursing a child) through the breast, the bullet inflicting a mortal wound in its passage through the lungs. The child, strange to say, was uninjured. Mrs Eoggiero, who was going about some household duties, on hearing the report of the rifle, screamed, and seeing the child fall out of her husband’s arm, ran over to his assistance. Poor Eoggiero, on receiving the fatal wound, cried out, “ I’m shot. Run for help.” His wife then ran for her brother in law, Peter Clough, also a son in-law of Kitto, who lived close at hand, and another man named Murray, who also lived close by, accompanied him. Upon nearing Kitto’s house another shot was firrd, which missed Murray by a hair’s breadth, and struck Clough on the wrist, the ball coming out at the elbow. After this all the neighbours fled for safety, the greater part of them taking shelter in Mr Smith’s residence, and after barricading the door they remained th'ere two or three hours, not daring to venture out they should receive a bullet m their heads. When the second shot was fired James Burns, a neighbor who

happened to bo in Clough’s house at the time, ran over to Captain Henderson’s station and gave the alarm. Mr Gunn at once sent off a horseman to Eoxburgh to inform the police, and also to procure medical aid if possible. Mrs Eoggiero took refuge along with the others in Mr Smith’s house, and during this time the only occupants of Eoggiero’s house were Eoggiero himself, who was mortally wounded, and the infant. Not knowing whether or not Kitto was still hanging about ready to shoot anyone down who ventured out most of the imprisoned individuals frightened to show face. A person named G. McKay, who was on a visit to Hen derson’s station, was the first to venture into Roggiero’s house. ‘When he went in the sight that met his gaze was something appalling. There lay Roggiero on the bed where ho had managed to drag himself, in a dying state, and the infant lying on the floor in convulsions. No sooner did he see the awful state of things than he prepared to render all the assistance in his power, by trying to get Roggiero into as easy a position as possible, and afterwards tried to pacify the infant. ’ Having done his best in the meantime, he then run a distance of nearly a mile for Mrs McWhirter, who at once accompanied him to Ruggiero’s in her slippers. Mrs McWhirter did all that lay in her power for the wounded man, but he was seen to be rapidly sinking. McKay then went over to Smith’s bouse and returned with Mrs Roggiero. By this time Roggiero was getting very weaK, and he gradually : ank until one o’clock in the morning, when he breathed his last. Kitfo, it would appear, after firing the second shot, had gone down to the river, pulled the boat across, set it adrift in the river, and then walked'to Eoxburgb, a distance of nine miies, which he readied about nine o’clock in the evening, coolly stating that he had shot his two sons in law on account of their interfering with his religion, he calling himself a Jew. Mrs Roggiero has been left with a family of five helpless little children. Clough has only one child. At the Coroner’s inquest to-day a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Kitto, who is now in Lawrence gaol.