THE CARCOAR Tragedy

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 30, 28 October 1893, Page 7

THE CARCOAR Tragedy

A BANK MANAGES AND A YOUNG LADY MURDERED.

THE STORY OF THE CRIME,

THE MUE HE .iE R SENTEIS'CED

TO DEATH

In tlie annals of Australian crime,” writes tie Argus, “fewtragedies have created so widespread a feeling of horror a s that which thrilled the whole of the colony when the news of the dreadful deed that had "been perpetrated at Carcoar (N.b.W) on Sunday morning, September 24th, -was made public.” It appears that the City Bank of Sydney, Carcoar, situated on the main street, was broken into and the manager (Mr Phillips) who was leaving on Monday to take charge of another branch) and. a visitor at his house (Miss Kayanah) were murdered and his wnfe and child severely w'ounded. I he murderer apparently entered the Bank, which is a two-storey ed brick Building, by a back window-, which was left unfastened. Although it is Believed he only meant robbery, he carried a small axe, and walked past the kitchen of the dwelling portion of the establishment to the dining room, which is across a Km,ll hall from the

banking premises. Onreacliing this he struck a match, and this attracted the attention of some of the inmates to his movements. What followed is thus told by Mrs Phillips, whose injuries were of such a character that it was deemed advisable to take her depositions : I, Annie Dorothy Phillips, wife of John Phillips, late manager’ of the City of Sydney bank, Carcoar branch, being aware that I am in danger of death, and may shortly die, make the following solemn declaration in connection with the tragedy which occurred in our residence after midnight at the Cai’coar branch of the City bank on Sunday morning, 24th September. I and my husband retired to bed at about a quarter to 12. The baby Gladys somew’hat

disturbed our rest. My sleep was a little uneasy, and after we bad been in bed some time I thought I heard a noise on the stairs, like someone walking. This was about two o’clock, and I awakened my husband. Both of us noticed a glimmer of light in the dining room and we got up and went downstairs together ; my husband took his revolver in his hand, and as the light came from the dining room we entered it. When we got into that apartment I saw by the candle which I had brought from the bedroom that there was a man behind the door with a half-axe in his hand. The lower part of his face was' covered with a black mask. It looked to me like leather, bat I cannot swear to the substance. The man at once knocked the candle out of my hand, and I believe he at once struck at my bus-

band, as he fell, and carried me with him. He moaned so pitifully, and I endeavoured to get out of the room. After some little fumbling I found the Joor, and almost at the same time the man in the room whistled. My husband then seemed to be struggling with him, and fell to the floor moaning fearfully. I said to him —“ Why don’t yon use the revolver to him ? Give me the pistol. If you can’t shoot him I will.” After that—l don’t know how —I found myself at the foot of the stairs, and called Miss Stoddard, my sister, who had come up from Sydney on Saturday, and Miss Cavanagh, who had accompanied her. I managed to scream out that someone was killing Jack, and called out “ Murder !” “ Then,” proceeded Mrs Phillips in

a, voice rendered feeble by suffering’, T thought of my babj', asd went up to my bedroom to look for her. I heard a scream about this time, and at first I thought it was my husband, but I think now it must have been one of the gilds. I tried to strike a match which I had in my hand, but before I could do anything a man came into the bedroom. I saw him. He had not his mask on, as when he blew out the candle in the diningroom, and struck my husband, 1 pulled off his mask. I saw the man had the same axe in his hand, and immediately felt a blow on my cheek, but did not see any blood. But the man was trying- to pull the tomahawk out of my cheek I struggled with him. Just at this time my sister, Miss Stoddard, came into the room and said —“ Oh, Annie, are you hurt, and

held something to my face. X said “ I must go to Jack ; he -will he killed.” My sister said—“ You are dreadfully hurt. You must lie down.’ She persuaded me to lie down, but I had not been on the bed five or ten minutes when the man without the mask came back and said— 1 Give mo the keys; give me the keys of the bank safe or I’ll shoot you.’ sister said—‘ Oh, do not kill us. , You have a wife and relatives.’ He said to me, ‘ How do you know,’ but at the same time my sister said to me ‘ Give him the keys,’ and I got up and got some out of my husband’s trousers pockets. The man took the kej’s and went out, but returned soon after and said, ‘ What do you mean ? You have given me the wrong keys.’ I said, 1 Mr Phillips is not the manager now. We have nob got the keys here.’ He said, ‘ Who has then ? ’ I said, ‘ The new manager. He said, 6 Where is he ‘f ’ and I replied ‘ He is at one of the hotels.’ My sister added ‘ 1 don’t know where he is. I only came up to the town tonight.’ He then said—‘ Pet me get away. Let none of you make a noise and scream, or 1 will shoot you.’ Before he went away I felt sure that I knew him, as he was like Bertie Glasson in height and size, and since then lam sure that he is the man. Mrs Phillips, who is described as a little lady of indomitable character, is doing well considering the nature of hex' injuries.

The horrible discovery was afterwards made that Miss Kavenagh, a young and attractive lady, the only child of a well-known resident of Darlinghnrst, had also been brutally murdered, Bhe was lying at the top of the staircase landing, with Mrs Phillips’s baby beside her, in an unconscious state, with one finger chopped off and two others nearly severed. It is surmised that, hearing the struggle in the dining-room, she went downstairs, carrying the bahy, and was met on the way by Grlasson, who struck at her in the dark, inflicting a wound in the throat that must have caused the almost instantaneous death of the young lady, and at the same time cutting the hand of the child, which was resting on her neck. It was speedily ascertained that a young married man of good position named Edwin Hubert Grlasson, who had had dealings with the bank, which had sold off his effects on the previous Saturday, had disappeared. He was subsequently arrested at Cowra, 30 miles from the scene of the murders. He denied that he was guilty of the crimes charged against him, but eviden pointing to his guilt gradually accumulated; he was committed for trial; and on the 21st of October» after a lengthy trial he was found guilty and sentenced to death. He maintained his innocence throughout.