Brutal Wife Murder in Hobart. WRECK OF THE LY-EE-MOON.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 8

Brutal Wife Murder in Hobart.

WRECK OF THE LY-EE-MOON.

The following account from the "Hobart Mercury" of the Ist inst. furnishes the details of the terrible wife murder in Hobart recently reported ;—; — One of the most brutal murders that have ever taken place in Hobart occurred yesterday. About half-past 5 p.m. it was reported at the police {station that a man named William Oakes, aged 60, had murdered his wife, Margaret Oakes, aged 55, by beating in her skull with an iron bar. At the time named, Ralph Oakes, aged 20, went to the police station and reported to Sub-inspector Connors that upon returning home about 5 p.m. he had found his mother lying on bed a with her head literally battered to atoms. From the young man's statement, -it appears that upon his return home at the hour stated he went into ' his parents' bedroom, and was there horrified by the sight of his mother lying on the bed, with her clothing and the bedclothes covered in blood, which had escaped from a' frightful wound on the left side of her head. His father was sitting on the floor beside the bed in a helpless state of intoxication, muttering unintelligible words to himself, and calling out, "Dear Jennie, come to me." When young Oakes left the house at two p.m., his mother, he cays, appeared to be all right, except that she had been drinking, but ho expected that she would get over the effectß of this'in an hour or two, and did not feel any cause for alarm. Detective Delaney and Superintendent Pedder proceeded to the spot. Upon searching the house Detective Delaney found an iron bar Under the bed, one end of which was covered with blood, and had a quantity of grey hair adhering to it. The bar was about 18 inches long, and an inch thick, shaped something like a quarryman's gad, being pointed at one end, and it is suppo°ed to have been used by the ill-fated woman for tethering a goat to. It was some considerable weight, and a most formidable weapon for the deadly purpose to which it has too plainly been applied. It was lying under the bed, no attempt having been made to further conceal it. From indications the iron bar had evidently been literally buried by the force ot heavy blows, in the skull of the victim several times, before her murderous assailant was satiated with his fiendish work. < Dr. Giblin was sent for, and upon his arrival he found that the unfortunate woman had been dead for some time. The left side of the head had been beaten to pieces, a gaping wound, into which several fingers could be thrust, bearing evidence of the murderous attack. The skull was also fractured all over, several violent blows having evidently been dealt. The murder appears to have been committed'whilst the woman was" lying upon her back on the bed, for there were no signs of blood anywhere except upon the woman's clothes and the drapery of the bed, which were all soaked with blood. No screams or cries for help were heard by the neighbours, and it seems probable that the woman was lying on thebedstillundertheinfluenceof liquor when her assailant, impelled by sudden frenzy, attacked her, and she was stunned before she had any knowledge of his murderous intentions. Had any cry escaped, it must have been heard, as the locality is very thickly populated. Her husband, William Oakes, who is charged with the foul deed, was taken to the lockup by Detective Delaney. He made no remark, beyond saying that "He would tell all about it for half a pint of beer," He was stupidly drunk, and did not appear to understand the enormity of the charge made against him. He' followed the occupation of a hawker of fruit and vegetables, and is very well known all over the town. He ha« always' been regarded by his neighbours as a quiet inoffensive man, and though addicted 'to drink, scarcely come* under the category of an habitual drunkard. What lends an air of mystery to this fearful 1 tragedy is the fact that while under the influence "of drink the man and wife' were ■as a rule' very affectionate towards each other, more so, perhaps, than at any! other time. Up to the present no direct clue has been obtained to show that the husband was' the actual perpetrator of the deed, but tbe suspicions and surrounding circumstances are so strong that there seems little doubt. When put on his feet after being arrested, he was too intoxicated to stand, and (had to be taken into the police station in a cab, where, in the cells, he was up till a late hour last night raving in an idiotio fashion.,

." Desirable 1' Saxon passenger (on Highlan 4 coach)-7" Of course, you're well acquainted * with the country round, about here. Do you- know 'Glen Accron? 1" Driver— ■" Aye, weel." Saxon 1 passenger (who has just bought the estate)— 4' What |flort of a place is it?" Driver—" Weel, 1 if 'ye saw the deil tethered on't ye'd just say, •Pair brute!'" f ■> "- 1 "

ATtbeCentral Criminal Court, Darlin jjfhurst,, on Septemberi9th, before HtyHonor Mi"Just|bep> InriVfindi/a fury;* ptMelrt),fArthur Wynne Webber, late Captain, of the ill-fked Ly-ee-Moon, was charged that, on the 3Obh of May, 1886, upon'the high seas, to wit, in iand on rbosrd,,of ,a r certain .British rBhi|j, r 8hi|j, or•vessel ?calledithe.Ly.ee^Mdoii, then on: the high seas on a voyage from the port of Melbourne, in Victoria, to the pprtjof Sydney, in New .South' Wales s, did feloniously slay Antonio Petzothemow. V*Mr Hey^on"stated the 'partidula'rs of the case to the jury, and said'that what they had to decide upon was whether the negligence of Captain V^ebber, who was captain of the Ly-ee Moori, was the cause of thewreck of the vessel', and the consequent loss of life.,, - - ,>\.j,, ",, j,;r Andrew Johnson deposed that he was one. of the crew of the Ly>ee-Moon when fche was lost He knew the cook, Antonio. Petzothemow. He saw him on board the Lyee-iloon on May 30th. He saw him thonext day, dead, lying on a rock in the water, near, Green Cape. By Mr Simpson : He had been on the Ly-ee-Moon for twenty-one months, trading between ' Melbourne and Sydney.- He knew Green Cape and Cape Howe very well. He had just gone off watch when he went below. The chief 'mate was in charge of the watch He noticed the Gabo light, which he reported at fourteen minutes to eight o'clock to the chief officer. He didnot notice the light afters that, and he did: not know what speed the veaael was going' at.