THE PALMERSTON MURDER.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3459, 13 April 1920, Page 5

THE PALMERSTON MURDER.

' DEELEY BEFORE THE COURT. PALMERSTON N., April 12. Some days after the finding of the body of Mrs Mary Webby at Terrace End on the morning‘ of March 18, with her throat cut, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Harry Deeley, wh.o was known to have been‘ with the woman on the previou sday. After the tragedy inquiry was made by the police for Deeley, ‘but for a time all -their efforts to trace him were without result, and nothing could be learnt of his movements after March 17. Then a reward of £2OO was offered by the Government for information leading to the arrest.‘ of the missing man. For a long time‘, no trace of his whereabouts could be found, but at last it was discovered, that he was in the Kairanga district. On Sunday afternoon, therefore, Sen-ior-Sergeant Fraser‘ ‘and Constable Gow proceeding to a property on Fly~ ger’s Line, Kairanga, situated some three or four miles from Palmerston North .Avsearch was made of the property, and Deeley was discovered in a hayloft, lying under several bales of hay. The man was brought out, and he was arrested without offering ,any resistance. He was at once ,brought to Palmerston North in a car, }and about four o’clocl_r, after being searched, he was lodged in the lockiup. He appeared to be in a dazed condition, but did not seem to have suffered from any lack of food. Deeley was attired in a suit of ‘what is generally known as “pepper gand salt” colour, and was Wearing an iold soft felt hat. He had a Watch. but the money in his possession con sisted of only two sixpenny pieces. One -of his pockets contained a sold» ier’s pay book and a numfber of “papers, one ofwhich was an authority 11:0‘ wear the returned soldiers.’ badge. He also had a beard of apparently {some weeks’ growth. I Although it is not definitely known who will get the £2OO reward offered, lit is understood it will not go to the police officers. i Mrs Vvebby, it will be remembered, ',was found early on the morning of lMarch 18 with her throat cut in an iunfornled lane at Terrace End, be!tween Ruahine and Fitzroy Streets. ‘At the inquest evidence was giVéll |that she had been seen‘ drinking on ithe previous day in the company Of ‘Deeley, and that later in the evening she was-seen with a man in the lane lin question. The womanfs body’, With ]a horrible wound in‘ the throat; W 35 ifonnd the next morning, about 6‘ ‘o'clock, in the lane, and she had then {been apparently dead for some hours. The verdict of the J'lll‘Y at the COMB‘ fields inquiry was that the Woman was lmurdered by having 1391' ’fhl‘°3t cut by !some person or persons finknown.

Theiwoman alleged to have been xnurdered was middle-aged, and had been married for some years tq Felix Webby, with whom she resided in Manson Street, having one éTIIId, a girl about eight years of age The accused Deeley is a single man about 36 years of age, and is a returned soldier.

With the expectation of catching a sight of the accused man there was a. large crowd of spectators at the Palmerston North Court yesterday morning, the position reserved for the public being crowded before 10 o’clock. They waited more or less patiently from the time the ordinary business commenced at a quarter to 11 o"c1ock until it concluded about half past 11, and when the clerk announcedthat the Court was adjourned the crowd faded away disappointed,

Ten minutes later the accused was

brought into Court and placed in the prisoners’ dock. Sergeant Fitzpatrick} stod alongside the clock, with Com ' stable‘ McEntee close handy. Deeley; was Wearing the suit in which he W 355 clothed when arrested, and had also :2.‘ dirty white shirt without a collar .1131 one hand he carried a soft‘ Brown te-NI hat with a black band. He appeareii quite calm, and hardly seemed to I~c+ . alise his position. For the miniite 01'. so before the Magistrate took his seat; on the bench the ac‘Eused man sat} at the "shack of the dock. About sff§ Bin in height; and powerfully built, he." . ‘L?('?l't&inly looked more than 36 years; lot‘ age, and could easily have -been: [taken for a. man of 50 years. Hist complexion was rather sallow, and hiS_ head, although fairly well covere<l_ [with hair, seemed inclined to bald-i_ iness. He Wore a short and fairly thick moustache, but had evidentzyg lbeen shaved‘ for identification pux-3 gposes. b 5

As soon as the Magistrate (Mr J; L. Stout, S.M.), ‘took his seat the acg cused ‘stood up, and the Clerk of the" Court at_on‘€e” feeaid the charge. Bi} this time the only people in the Court‘; were 'the.’"police, reporters, and about; half a, dozen of the public. ,

“Hat:-y Deeley,f" read "the clerk, “You are charged that on or about: the 17th day of March, 1920, at Pale.‘ merston North, you did kill one Mary; Etheline Webby.” 3 The accused, who was not repre< sented ‘by counsel, did not say a word, Detective-Sergeant Quirke, who had} charge of the case ontbehalf of that police, asked for a remand until 20th inst, at 10 a.m. 5.

The Magistrate granted the remand" asked for, and accused was toucheil on the arm by the police and.at once‘ taken away to the cells, "the whole proceedings not lasting five minutes. During the short time he was in Court: Deeley appeared to be quite unmoved, Deeley was taken under escort bm train to Wellington in the afternoon: and will be fbrought back to Palmerss-s ton N-0-rth again next week to answer‘, the charge against him. . ‘