SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 42, 20 October 1913, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

THE MAYFIELD MURDER. A BLACKSMITH ARRESTED. IPeb Press Association.] Ashburton, October 19. On the police being communicated with by Mr John A. Lilley, husband of the murdered woman, Sergeant Emerson despatched two constables to Mayfield at 4 a.in., and when they I went out to view the body they found evidence which pointed in an unmistakable manner to a fiendish murdei having been committed, foi the pool woman lay in a pool of blood with hci head battered in, and her clothing disarranged, The body was lying face downwards with her dress disarranged and her limbs exposed to the knees. Her left arm was under her head, and her right arm was bent with her fingers turned in. Her left boot war off her foot and was lying five feet away from the body. The right hdot was half unlaced. A small sledge hammer \vas lying three feet away from her head, with hair and blood 01 it. Her head was terribly mangled and her face was covered with blood. The body was lying in a paddock about 270 yards from Lilley’® house. 5 ff 'ftThe spot where it was found is situated about two miles from Biddle’s blacksmith shop, and two and a half'miles from the Mayfield Post Office, store and school. The hammer with which the murder was committed was soon identified as belonging to Alfred Biddle, a blacksmith, who owns a forge about half a mile from the village, and was of a type usually used for heating out plough shares. The police immediately made inquiries about Biddle’s whereabouts, and discovered that he had not been seen at hi& hoarding house since Wednesday evening at six o’clock, when he rode away on his bicycle. Biddle had been in the neighbourhool for the past four years, and was a well-known man to the farming community. He is about 29 years of age. At 1 p.m. Superintendent Kiely, of Christchurch, with three detectives, arrived at the scene-, and- a snb-in-spec.tor and a detective also came from Tiinam.

A Vigorous Search • V: .■■■' ... r was at once instituted, special attention being paid to the course of the Hinds river, which passed within half a mile of_ Mayfield township. The search was not without result, for t races of the missing map were found in the midst of high-grown gor.se on tin river-bed, about one-and-a-half miles above Mayfield. It was plain that he had attempted to do away with "himself. A bottle which had recently contained rough-on-rates was discovered. The neck of the bottle had been broke” off, andf'the contents swallowed, for the Wretched man had- vomited considerably, and tobacco had also been left'.';" : f A The Arrest. Biddle was arrested by DetectiveSergeant Fahey, of Timaru,' and Detective Gibson, of Christchurch, at 8.45 tliis morning on a charge that, on Wednesday;,. 1 evening last, he did murder one., Bose Anna Lilley. The suspected man was in a very weak condition, and made no resistance. He was arrested when he emerged from the Hinds riverbed about twenty yards from Kennedy’s place at 8.45. The scene of the arrest is only one-and-a-qnarter miles at the most from the Mayfield Post Office, and about half-a-mile from Biddle’s smithy and two miles from the scene of the murder. “Significant.” Biddle made a statement to the detectives, but the Guardian reporter was not able to learn anything of its terms beyond the fact that it was “significant.” ACCUSED BEFORE THE COURT. A REMAND GRANTED. Ashburton, October 20. At the Ashburton Police station this morning, before three local Justices of the Peace, Alfred Mortran Biddle was formally charged with the wilful murder of Rosanna Lilley at Mayfield on October 15, 1913.

Prisoner was still in a very shaky condition, having to lean on the arm of detectives, one on each side; otherwise he appeared calm.

Sergeant Emerson applied for a remand till to-morrow, prisoner stating lie had no objection. The inquest will he opened to-mor-row morning. DECEASED’S FAMILY. SMART LITTLE FELLOW OF 8. BIDDLE’S RFSE. Christchurch, October 20. A pathetic story is connected with Lilloy’s lour chicldren. They were left alone in the house from' Wednesday evening. The eldest, a boy aged only S, looked after himself and the others on Wednesday night, Thursday and Friday, washed.‘fed, and dressed them.! and also boiled feed for the pigs. I The boy stated that on Wednesday| night Bid'dle railed and told Mrs Lilley' that Airs Montgomery, a neighbor, was! ill, and that he had been sent to ask her to go over. She dressed and left the house in company with Biddle,' 1