LIZZIE GRAHAM'S STORY.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 176, 30 October 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

LIZZIE GRAHAM'S STORY.

'"" '-y kl V JJt - s V 4 SYBSEy, October ,21: the arrest of ;.tbe,iniBntC^ffrey ;^nd 'Fenn, accu«ed-of .the»t««)ribl».itturder at the ;WOr«#tkB»»S06la5ar^1^1t%nd^lNew,

happened before and after the crime with regard to; the three people have appeared. c On; Tuesday, K6,weveV;>a l «peoial reptfetentatiTo of 'the Auckland 'Star' had * a long interview with ' the girl- GriUjm», ' in the presence of the m'atrdti of 'the Daf Unghutat ' Gaol, add obtained from her an 'Account of the whole' * matter , >: so -far as she Was > acquainted, which' enables us to give particulars of interest that 'have not been previously "published; ' The ? girl *ir riot ill-looking, of short but not unshapely figure,; and though not virtuous, is evidently no trained criminal. Her story is that of many an erring sister, who having once gone wrongs falls* down from the moral surface that society .presents, and becomes one of those wretched creatures who, as night fallB, blazon their wickedness under the full glare of the gas-lit streets, of flit Ibbut the darker and more silent portions ot eur cities. She is but nineteen years of age, and first met Fenn (op Harry as she calls him) last January.' He was not responsible for her ruin. When he first met her she had become one of those women who are passed by their more'discreet sisters with ekirto hastily drawn aside to avoicLjbhe contamination of even momentary contact. Penn, who is a married man' whoso wife has borne him children, became infatuated with Grace Graham, who, from her conversation, seems to have returned his passion, and in her way to be most fond of him now. She is an ignorant girl, and it may be at once said here that her name Graham is only an assumed one, her proper name being Clearey Her connection with Penn was maintained from January last, and previous to starting on the last and fatal voyage sbe had visited the Great Barrier with him in the Sovereign of the Seas, the cutter of which he was mate and Caffrey was master.- She maintains that when the cutter left Auckland the last time, her being on board was purely accidental Th« night before the Sovereign of the tit as tailed, Graham or Clearey and some othe girla and young fellows were on board her with Penn and Caffrey drinking, and she pays that when her companions left, Penn asked her not to leave with "Uupm, and she remained, and accompanied Wd two men on the Toy age. However it may be, whether she intended to fly altogether with Penn, knowing something of what was going to happeu, or whether she only learned the man's intention after tbey had started, she was well aware before they reached the island of wbatCaffiey and P an contemplated. The j made no secret that *' the old cuss " was to be attacked, and hi? -daughter taken away by Caffrey. She says that whilst she did not say anything as to the abduction of the daughter, she several times implored them not to kill the old man. However, they persisted in their intention to " put the old cuss out of the way," and at the island left the cutter for that avowed purpose. Of what happened ashore., of which there was a witness, and which has been fully described already, Clearey of course knows nothing, but at a quarter to eight o'clock on the tatal morning, Caffrey and Penn returned to the cutter in hot haste, redhanded fiom their crime, telling her that

" They had put tne 01a cuss out of the way." They made sail upon the cutter, and were clearing the bay by a quarter to nine <? clock, Caffrey hoietad a black flag at the mast head of the Sov ereign of the Seas. The girl was accom panying Penn, and apparently net unwillinglv. Caffrey did not keep his piratical flag flying very long, but pulled it dowa soon after they lett the bay, knowing, no doubt, that unless he did so any passing ci aft would be certain to note, and be attracted by, its strange appearance. The men told her tbey intended to shape a course for America, on some part of the coast of which they hoped to land without observation. They had a compass and a chart, she says, but neither chronometer nor eextaitf. Their crimes had commenced on the morning they set out ; their troubles in escaping began two days afterwards, when they had to lie to for a week. The girl eays that for tho first week or so after they left JNew Zealand, there wad no want of 'harmony amongst them. They were good friends, and Cuffrey treated her well. He and Penn kept watch and watch every four hours. One evening, whilst Caffrey wac asleep, or was pretending to be asleep, in the hold, Clear y and Penn were talking about the murder, and about what might happen to them all if tbey ever got safe to land. The girl states that in the course of conversation she said jocularly to Penn, in reference to what sbe might afterwards say it questioned, " You had better not trust mo too mucn." Caffrey overheard these word*, rushed into the cabin, cursed and swore ttarfuby, and cried that " be would never trust a woman, and would not stay a day with Penn after they got to shore it C'earey was kept with them." From this time out Penn, evidently fearful of a second murder, would not let the girl go to sleep whfen it was his watch below and Caffrey 's ou deck. In addition, he cautioned her against going on deck during the night at any time, or going Loo near the side of the vessel. Clearey says that Caffrey has a fearful and ungovernable temper, and from this time forward frequently betrayed it. Often, when talking quietly or sitting still, he would suddenly jump up, burst into loud imprecations, and plainly show, his distrust of her and his desire to be rid of her at any hazard. The water they had on board ran oufc, and they had to depend on rain water. Whilst in this condition and near the tropics they were once without water for three days, during which a dog on board went mad and had to.be shot. One night, Clearey, pretending to , be asleep, heard Caffrey come, into the cabin and say, " Oh, why did I -kill that old cuss ! " , They had plenty of provisions in the way of tea, sugar, and flour on board. After a time, finding that they could not hope to make Ameiica they put the boat about, and headed her for Australia. On reaching Australia they were blown off the coast four times. They saw Port Jackson light, and the girl Clearey talking of thia, ana quite forgetful for the moment of'the terrible events m which sbe had been a part participator, said, "Oh, what a pretty light that was. I never saw anything like it in my life." She also says, that at this time whilst on the Australian coast they often saw as many as 20 steamers a day. By this time the Sovereign of thb Seas was shattered and bruised by heavy weather. Her stays aud shrouda had given way, and had to be spliced anyhow. Fading a smooth sea near Trial B&yyCaffiey , anchored the cnbter, and having gone ashore and ascertained' that the, neighbourhood was desolate to all appearances, "provisions were landed, and ha knocked out the boat's lining/- boards, and drove boles thrpugh, her bottoto with an axe aud e.ank h>rr Tnbn lie wanted Penn to coui% with him 7 r tixul leave ttte* girl, 'or* dispose of 'her'. This PeW refused todoi and Caffrey made off. , • Penn and\th"egir> lived, near^th'e beach for three^weeks^durin^which tiHie pJearey used to fcake -the. vgun - i and 'shoot and' make * st^s'4andr,ycurryir;'of'^t|iemfor P^nBf^whb' haWnurf > inisibaok^Tand .had" to keep- * &$'£** ojfcnightf' A His ;in juries Vwerelca^Efed^byihaHunib^df^B'T

thuY lying injured; Pehn'andihe gitl'.tftlik^cl* nearly always' of what had^haptienedj'fand ! they both made up, their minds that,so soon as the man could move, they would ( make their*, way 'to th'e/ nearest habitation^or , settlement and give ? themselves up' to juatioe. OnW Cleai-ey, r wandering a' little from' theWnd of tent in 1 which theyliv^d,: saw a policeman on the beach, and, telling 1 this to Penn, he ordered her to go and fetph 'the man nt once.,' When shfe 1 got back 'to* the place,' however, the policeman had gone.* At last, after the three weeks were up, and Penn was able to move, they set out along the coast, and eventually reached Trial Bay, where Clearey says they were both heartily glad when aneeted by Constable McClelland.

LETTER FROM PENN'S COUNSEL. Mr W. J. Napier writes : Sir, — Ab counsel for one of the prisoners who stand Charged with the committal of what is known as " The Great Barrier Tragedy," I cannot refrain from protesting again et the publication of such an article as appeared in your journal of laet evening concerning the allegeti <-tfence. You therein assume not only that the crime of murder has been committed, but also that two of the accused are the perpetrators of the crime. Now, this is an assumption which at the present stage of the proceediuga ought not to be made, and it is entirely contrary to the spirit of fair play and to the immemorial theory -of Engliuh law to assume the guiltiness of accused persons before they have been impartially tried by a jury of their countrymen. The merciful presumption of our law is that Caflrey and Penn are absolutely innocent of the crime which id laid against them, and it is only if and when they have been condemned by the proper tribunal that any man has a right to say that they or either of them are or is guilty. It, id no doubt permissible and may be regarded as a fair exercise of the important functions of the press to present to its readers with as much particularity as possible the details and circumstances surrounding a tragedy such -as that at the Great Barrier ; but I submit that it is a misuse of the privileges of the prees, and a usurpation rt the functions of the tribunals of the country, to try to condemn persona accused of crime before the latter have had an opportunity of defending themselves. it; is true that some alight justification is given for comment, auch as . yours, by the fact lhat a coroner's jury at the scene of the alleged offence adopted a verdict implicating the per&ons now b custody ; but when we consider the circumstances uader which that inquest was held, the hurry and th<$ excitement, the fact that the accused were in no way represented at it, and that there was no cross-examination of tho witnesses, it cannot be contended that the opinion expreseed by the "twelve good men and true" is entitled to very great weight. As far as the prisoner Penn is concerned I think it will be found that all that has been said of, him cannot be supported, and that after the judicial inquiry, his case will present a very different aspect from that which it now appears to exhibit. I do not doubt that you were not actuated by any spirit of hostility to the unfortunate prisoners by writing as you have done, and, indeed, in one sentence at tho end of your article you mention that it ia to be seen whether they are guilty or innocent; but on the minds of ordinary men the impression left by perusing your leader would be that both pruoneia were murderers, and that tho judicial proceedings about to be commented were but mere formalities', which might, without injustice, ba dispensed with. As the jury who will have to pronounce on the guilt or innocence of the accused will be men taken from the ranks of the community, it is manifestly unfair by premature comment to prejudice the popular mind aga'nst the prisoners, and thereby to embarrass their defence and render an impartial trial difficult if not impossible. — Yourd faithfully, W. J. ISAPIER, [We presume that Mr Napier's object is to get a text npon which he may put in a plea *for his client, and we shall be glad if his defence is successful in placing the events attending the death Of the poor settler Robert TayJor in a leas ghastly light than they were snewn in the evidence at the inqueet, upon which the jury returned a verdict of "Wiiful Murder." He is aekiog too much, however, if he wishes the public and the press to speak a3 if it were quite an open question whether Mr Taj'lor had been brutally killed and the barratry of the Sovereign of the Seas committed in order to carry the men accused of his murder clear of the officers of justice. Our article yeaterday wa3 merely a commenrairy upon the combination of circumstances which prevented this flight from achieving itb purpose, and to point out the network which in these days entangles the feet of the man who hopes to escape the consequences of criminal acts, In the case of all notorious crimes, the jury must go iuto the box with certain impressions — and the very indictment on which an accused person is arraigned is an assertion that he did commit the crime charged against him— but thu does not prevent juries from iairly trying cases on the evidence adduced befoie them. In the article referred to we distinctly pointed out that the guilt of the prisoners remained to be proved! — [Ed Tho Girl aml^Her Mother. The Court prcc8edin«a being concludsd, the prisoners were marched through the immense crowd of spectators back to the Police Station. They were followed into tho guard-room by Mr? Keed, the girl's mother. She upbraided her daughter strongly, asking her if she had not made a nice mess of herself Lizzie Graham, who did not wish to see her, retorted that she could have got ashore from the v£S3el -if she had liked, but did nob wish to. She was fond of Penn and meant tq stick to him. Subsequently, all the prisoners were driven to Mount t.den to await the trial at the Police Court. Mrsr'ReicI, 9ays she wa3 living in Howe-street last Jannary with her ,bueband and' her gin, and in that month went to Wairoa, Hawke's Bay. The girl wenjt to ,the Barrier to her stepfather, and Penn and Penn and Caffrey would not permit her to go on shore. Hor age was only 15, and her father died before ehe.was born. .Her* real name was Sarah ,/Elizabeth Cleary. Mrs Rfcid was id the Court during, tile pro. ceedinga there,* % ■

To Trns.PUBLTC— I, the trnd^wigned, do thii flay make tlio folio wing statement, jn hopes that others who have prone -thronqh. a similar affliction , may , profit * tjieroby :— For many* months havo I been sick ; so,,t>adthatlifcHvas"a burden^ The mental depression and phy.sicaliprostration ' something that tfajVftpt bo described". J tqc-' tors and patent J in^dicin«s I^ave^riodnvithont 'any veljor, ,buj> r getting %TOrs6 all the tirao^' -'As^a' forlorn "hope X called' on Jjr^Siieor^PalmojJstQn^ "Buildings;, » Qujoeii-street.^tjfti examined 'irio^ fi|id r< 'without, a^kin^ 'a;..<riicslipnVj gare'line *every., $tfr\ Said v ho;iYp^mreat ih J 6^Fr6ir^ btie^fst'teaspponf Ulqf {h'is'Sipicinp l^|e#'plief ,- 1 -sliveeV^|^yov1d^^^ndtnlxntes^sfmy|g^axiTOdeT| cTJld »^a&o/e^&taj;e'menfc#l^maK^ rjy^i^Ho\ti\anyi