THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT OAMARU.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2895, 6 July 1882, Page 3

THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT OAMARU.

.[By Telsgbaph.j

6amaeu, July 6. Finding it impossible to get any information through the police in , , reference to the alleged murder near Papakaio i the Mail V yesterday sent a special reporter to the district to make enquiries, the result being that the following, information was obtained AJexahder, Beattie and Sarah Adams have murdered the woman who was also known* as Adamson. They came* to the • district between six and seven years ago from Southbridge, in Canterbury. Beattie entered into business, but failed, and then took employment on a farm belonging to Hall Bros., near George Town, where Beattie 'and the woman lived for three or four years. Both .were addicted to drink and frequently quarrell ed when in liquor. ’.About,nine weeks ago they took a cottage in a lonely gully near Peebles and within 120 yards from the spot, where the body was found. : Beattie, about five weeks ago, (still working at Georgetown) returned home unexpectedly on a Saturday night, and not .finding his paramour at home, ho went to the house of a man named Barney Carroll, about half a_ mile from here. Beattie found the pair drinking together and a scene ensued, during which Beattie illtreated the woman, and threatened the life of Carroll. They laid an information against Beattie, who two days afterwards, waa fined and hound over to keep the peace. Beattie ♦hen returned to Georgetown, and, so far as is known, he did not again visit his paramour at Peebles, On the Sunday following, the woman went up to Georgetown apparently to heal the broach; but Beattie declined to have anything more to do, with her; saying she was a “rotten-hearted woman." She was driven home late at night by a farmer, and the day following she disappeared. Beattie afterwards stated that he had made a thorough search for her, and that ho believed she had gone off. with a pedlar named Chrystal, who was in the district. The woman had made no friends in the district owing to her drinking habits ; and people, accepting Beattie’s statement that thewomanhad gone away, ■ as very probable, did not make any search. Nothing more seems to have been heard of the matter until about a fortnight ago, when Ueattie reported the matter to the police. A search seems to ‘ have then been made, and by the merest chance the body was found on Sunday morning. The place where the body ’ , was found, was near an abandoned coal

pit, up a gully, and half a mile from the nearest habitation, a place seldom visited by anyone. On Sunday morniher, while looking for • a horse which had strayed, a man, named ;Warwood, in crossing the creek discovered the body, which was lying almost in the centre of the creek, ana with the exception of the feet and one shoulder was covered by seven or eight inches of sand. Information was sent to town to the police and sometime afterwards the body was removed. So far as can be ascertained, the body seems to have been lying on its back with both feet close together and one arm held out in front of the face, as if in the act of warding off a blow. The hair was dishevelled and the dress partly torn off the body. Round the throat a handkerchief was tied f tightly. It-is stated that on the elbow of the arm whose hand was hold in,front of the, face, there was a wound ; that there .wore three or four w.ounds on the head ; and the throat was cut in two places ; butupon these points, no thoroughly reliable information' can be obtained, as the doctor who made Xhepost mortem exe.mme.tion, declines to give auy particulars. It is‘ also stated that the police have found several things stained with blood, amongst them being a small bar of iron, but the police will not say-whether or not this is correct. As telegraphed yesterday, Beattie haaheen arrested and charged with murder, but the “Mail’s ’’ 'reporter did not obtain any information tending to connect him with the woman’s death. They were not, so far as could he ascertained, seen' together after the night previous to the woman’s, disappearance, when Beattie ‘to return home with he) 1 . .The supposition that murder has, been committed seems well, grounded,* ‘ and the police appear fully satisfied upon that point. What evidence they have to connect Beattie with the crime is not known, but that the murder was not.coramitted for. purposes of robbery, is shown by the fact that the body when fodnd, still bad a brooch and rings &0., on it, while nothing in the cottage close by had' apparently ' been disturbed. Mr Wall, one of Beattie’s employers, states that, to his knowledge,’ Beattie did not leave the farm near Georgetown, several miles distant from the place where,,the body was found,: from the ijimo he returned, - after a law-case, until 4 o'clock! in the afternoon of Saturday after the woman is said to have disappeared. The woman is said to have been the daughter of a doctor in Armagh, Ireland, and, that she was the wife of a lawyer in the same place, but this statement which was frequently . made by Beattie when in liquorj'is discredited. She. was apparently a well-educated woman;, who* had been brought up well, .and who always dressed remarkably well ; butras already: stated, she vvas addicted to drink,'and made few or no. friendsdnl the district. Her body was buried yesterday at Papakaio without the slightest ceremony, the only persons present being the constable, sexton, and the local-publican, who drove the horse hnd cart conveying tho body to the. grave. ’ ...V-. i The Coroner’s inquest will be resumed at .Papakaio, on. Thursday, at 1 .o’clock. It is said that about 20 witnesses will be examined. ■ - -