MURDER AT FIJI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 473, 21 May 1890, Page 3

MURDER AT FIJI.

Dhanu, an Indian, has just been sentenced to death at Fiji for having, on the 11th of March last, murdered one Mowli, an Indian woman, at Rarawai Plantation, Ba. From the evidence adduced on behalf of the Crown, it appeared that tho accused and.deceased had, up to a short time before tho latter’s death, been living together as man and wife, when she left him and went to live with a man named Badloo, who, however, subsequently sent her back to the accused. She again left this man and returned to Badloo, and the accused then threatened to murder them both. He insisted upon the deceased returning to him all the jewellery which ho had given her while living with him, and when she had done so all enmity between the parties apparently disappeared. On Tuesday, the 11th March last, the deceased was returning from her work, carrying a bundle of firowcod and a lioe tied, up together, also a small billy-can, in company with another woman, who was about two chains behind her, a third woman being about three chains behind her again, when suddenly the accused rushed out of the cane on to the road, laid hold of the deceased and dragged her into the cane a distance of half-a-chain. She clasped her hands and implored him not to kill her, saying that she would go and live again with him. Accused then struck her a blow on the hands, severing one completely at the wrist, and severing the other all but the skin ; be then struck her two blows on the throat, almost cutting her head from the body, only leaving it hanging by a small piece of skin. When accused first caught hold other, deceased’s bundle fell on to tho path, the contents being scattered about. The eye-witness of this ghastly deed further .stated that the accused took up the billy and, by its means, drank some of the deceased woman’s blood. He then dropped it and made off’along the Cane, with his knife under his arm. She called to the third woman, who was still behind, ignorant of what had happened, who thereupon came up and noticed deceased making off With the knife under bis arm. She also saw the contents of deceased’s bundle scattered about, the billy being near the dead body. The two women went towards their home, overtaking -some other women, to whom they told what they had seen. ,