ARCH HILL MURDER.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 361, 20 April 1889, Page 5

ARCH HILL MURDER.

Auckland, April 18. The following evidence was taken by th coroner, Dr. Philson, at the Hospits mortuary yesterday afternoon subsequen to our going to press, in regard to th circumstances surrounding the death o Mary Ann Wilson, who was stabbed a Arch Hill on the sth instant. Inspecto Broham examined the witnesses on behal of the police and Mr Hugh Shortland whi was present for the accused, Louis Payet. Richard Walsh, assistant bailiff at th< R.M. Court, Auckland, deposed to having met the deceased on Saturday, the 6th o April. He noticed that her cloak wai covered with blood. Payet was in he] company. Witness asked her by whoa she had been stabbed. She said she die not know. Witness next asked, "Is thai the man who stabbed you ?" and pointed at Payet. She again said that she did no( know. She said that the wound was still bleeding. Witness told her bo rest while he went for a doctor. Payet said that there was no cause to bring a doctor, as tiie woman was going to the Hospital, and she said, " I can't get as far as the Hospital." Witness told Payot to leb the woman rest and he would bring a doctor. Witness then telephoned to the police and went over to the residence of Dr. Lewis. When he returned he saw Payet and deceased crossing the Cemetery Biidge. Patrick Long, licensee of the Arch Hill Hotel, deposed to seeing Payet and deceased together on Friday, the sth of this month, when they were at his hotel. That was about 8 o'clock in the morning. They had a glass of beer each. He never saw the woman after they left. On the Saturday morning I'ayet came for a bottle of water about 9 o'clock. Did nob say what it was for. Witness said to him, " I thought you were going up to Hendersons Mill yesterday '!" He replied "So I was, but she would not go with me." He said something about having no money. He then went out, and witness did not see him again. He seemed drowsy-looking at the time. Payet told witness on Saturday morning that he and the old woman had sleut out in Surrey Hills that night. By Mr Shortland : He did not see any blood on the man's hands and clothing. Witness did give Payet a glass of beer, as he had slept out. There was nothing suspicious about Payet's manner. Dr. Thomas Bell deposed that he was House Surgeon at the Auckland Hospital. Deceased was admitted at 3.30 o'clock on Satm-day, April 6bh. ShewasbroughbbyConsfcableKelly, and was accompanied by Payet. She did not look particularly bad. She was pale and weak, and complained of pain in her chest. He noticed that her clothes wete covered with blood. She was undressed and put to bed. An examination showed that there was a punctured wound beneath the right breast an inch long, and penetrating between the ribs. The wound seemed to have been inflicted by a pointed instrument with a sharp edge. She said bhe had been stabbed, bub she did not know by whom, or uibh what instrument. She also had wounds on her right hand. The palms of both hands were abraded, and she had several scratches on her throat, as well as her face being bruised in one or two places. Deceased's clothing was handed over to Detective Hughes. The ulster had a gash in ib corresponding to the wound in the chest. Deceased was attended by Dr. Mackellar, who handed her over to Dr. Davy on Tuesday morning, as she was rapidly growing worse. She died later on the same day at noon. Witness had made a pobt mortem examination of her body that day (April 17th). He found that the wound had passed between the fifth and sixth ribs on the right side, through the lower margin of the right lung. The lung was gangrenous and breaking down. The heart was nob injured. He considered the cause of death was the penetrating wound in the chest, resulting in septicremea and acute pyaemia. By Mr Shorbland : The wound might have been inflicted either standing up or lying down. If a man wanted to murder a woman he should think he would not stab her on the right side. Such a wound might have been self-inflicted. Dr. E. L>. Mackellar deposed to having attended the woman and witnessed the pobt mortem examination. He corroborated the testimony of Dr. Bell. He should think that the wound was not self-inflicted. The cause of death was blood poisoning x'esulting from the wound in the chest. Death was the result of the wound. By Mr Shortland : Deceased told witness that she had been stabbed while lying down, but she did not know by whom. Dr. T, 0. Davy deposed to having attended deceased on the day of her death. He found her collapsed and syncoped. She was in great distress and struggling for breath. She was in fact dying, but perfectly conscious. She lived an hour and twenty minutes after he saw her. Witness had just left the ward when Dr. Bell came down and said she had died. Witness was present at the post mortem examination. He corroborated the statements made by Dr. Bell. He considered the cause of death was the being stabbed in the chest with a dirty knife, which resulted in septic matter being introduced into the lung. That accounted for the morbid appearance found. William Thomas, aged 19, deposed that he resided at Avondale. He knew deceased and Payet by sight. Had known Payet for about &ix months. They used to live at Waikomiti. Payet was gum digging. The two of them were at the store on Wednesday, April 3rd. The woman wanted to come into the shop, and Payet would not allow her. She did come in and he then pub her out, and she fell on the bricks in front of the shop. They went away together. Richard Denniston, aged 10 years, de posed that he lived with his father at Arch Hill. He saw the deceased in the plantation last Saturday week, near the Arch Hill Hotel. That was about 12 o'clock. He had shown Detective Hughes where ho saw er. Chief Detective C. T. Brown produced the clothing worn by Payet at the time he was brought to the Police station. Witness pointed out blood on Payet's hat. Payet said to him in the detectives' office that "She (deceased) was lying on that." Payet's shirt also had blood on the wrists. Prisoner said to him that he went for a bottle of water to wash deceased's face, and in doing that he got blood on his shirt. There were bloodstains on the trousers, and prisoner said, "I gob that blood on as I was lying on the grass beside her." He led witness to believe that the bloodstains on his clothing came there innocently. Detective Hughes depased that he examined the grass at Arch Hill where the deceased was said to have been lying. He found clots of blood on the ground and also on the stem of some ti-tree on which she had been lying 1 . He also produced the i clothing worn by deceased at the time, and | showed the marks of the knife passing j through all. I Constable Kelly deposed to accompany- J ing the deceased to the Hospital and arrest- ' ing Payet. Witness charged him with ■ having stabbed the deceased. He said, " I did not do ic." After a retirement of about 15 minutes ' the jury returned a verdict of " Wilful \ murder against Louis Payet." I <