A SANGUINARY DUEL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 7 June 1907, Page 4

A SANGUINARY DUEL.

«_ TKiiiiiisi.i-: I'Kiirr to a finish. HOST I-'EARITL HAND-TO-HAND FNJHT OX RECORD." .

Tli? remains of Major "William Murray, of Ossomley Manor, Hilton, near Lymington. wore cremated at Woking recently. Deceased, who was eighty-seven years of age. formerly belonged to the 171 H Regiment. His death recalls the great Northumberland street (London) tradegy of July. 1 SGI, which lias been described as the mose fearful hand-to-hand fight on record. Major Murray was inveigled into the office of a mad money-lender, who shot him twice, after which a terrible combat ensued. With the aid of a pair of tongs and a hu-geb ottlo, the Major felled his would-be assassin, who died friu his injuries. At the subsequent enquiry n verdict f "justifiable homicide was returned.

In a dramatic narrative of his terrible experiences. Major Murray said he was passing up from Himgeiford Bridge, when he was accosted by a stranger, ami "jiestimied regarding the intention of the Orosvenor Hotel directors to borrow money. With the view of discussing certain details cnected with the proposal, Major Murray was induced to accompany the stranger to a residence he described as his chambers, No. Ki, Northumberland street. "I asked him for his card of address. He said, 'lmmediately,' got up from the table, walked round me, and began rummaging among the papers of a desk. I thought he was looking for his card, and took n particular notice. Presently I felt a touch on the back of my. neck, there was a report of a pistol, and I dropped oft" the chair on the ground. I was perfectly paralysed. I could not move any pat of my body. My head, however, was quite clear. I was lying with my face on the fender, and when he fired I believe he left the room. After some little time I felt returning lief in my leg and arm, and was just raising myself on my elbow when I heard the door open, and he came in again.

''He imemdiatcly walked behind me and fired a pistol into my right temple. I dropped back on the carpet, and the blood gushed all over my face and eyes and mouth in a regular torrent. He either stopped or knelt close down beside me. for I could fel hi.s breath! and lie watched close to see if I was dead. I then made up my mind to pretend that f was so. I felt that the bleeding was bringing life back to me fast all over my body, which was tingling in my finger end. 1 knew if f could get on my feet T should be able to make a tight for it.

"Afur he had knelt behind inTTor some time, he got up and walked away: I then opened my eyes and saw a pair of tongs within a few incurs of my hand. Peeling that my strength was returning •to me and there being the whole length of the room between ns. I seized the tongs and sprang to my feet, lie was then at the window. Hearing me move, he turned and faced me. I at once rushed at him, and made a heavy blow at him with the tongs, which missed.

"T then seized them short by the middle, and made a dash into his chest and face, which knocked him over on his back. I got niy knees on his chest, and tried to smas hhis head with the tongs. They were tw long, and he got them in both his hands, firmly. I straggled hard for some time to get them away, but he was as strong as I, and I could not do it.

"r looked round for smething else to hit him with, and close to my hand I saw a large black bottle, which I caught in my right hand, and, shaking the tongs with iny left to keep him occupied, I hit him full, with all my force, on the middle of the forehad, smashing it to pieces. That made him quiver alt over. but still he did not let go the tongs, so I caught hold )f a metal vase and dashed it at his head with all my might, but I missed him.

''Then, as I saw there was nothing else at hand, I set to work desperately to get the mastery of the tongs, which he was holding all the time Dining all this time he was on his back, close under the window nearest the door. After a long struggle 1 got the tongs. As they came into my hands I lost my balance and fell back, hut was up again in an instant, and by that time he was rising into a sitting position, which gave me a full, fair blow at his head with the tongs, and I gave it to him with all my might aud main. I repeated it three or four times. He hid his head under the table to escape my blows, and 1 then hit him over the back of the neck: and in order to disable his hands, I hit him hard over the wrists.

"I then thought lie was suilkiently disabled, and tried to get out, but the door of the room was locked. I then went through the folding doors of the front room, and tried that way, but that door was locked, too. in coming hack through the folding doors 1 met him again face to face, walking towards me; i took a step back in order to get a full swing, and hit him on the head again with the tongs. lie lell forward on his fi.o through the folding doors as if he were dead. I pushed hi* feet through the doors, shut them, and threw up the wndow to get out."'

It was in endea\orJ:ig to effect his escape at this point that .Major Murray was seen by some workmen, and a-sinie,i to the ground. lie h.td then in his hands the longs u,c,| in the struggle, broken, bent and covered with blood.

lie appeared for a few minutes im.-on-scicillS uf hi- illjui'io., but ■,;:■ M 1..11 overcome with their ..over:'v. liiiil naive w ! to Charing (Ws Il.e-phal. The alarm at en. e being given to t!,\ police, an entry was forced into tin clumbers where the struggle had take-i phue. andtheir occupant found in the condition described by Major Murrav. It was then ascertained that the un known assailant was Mr lloherts, moneylender, who retned the chandlers.

Roberts win conveyed to tin- Charii);,' Cross Jlos]>it:il. where lie lived I'm- a few days, lie made no reference to the encounter beyond the mysterious stale ment that ■■.Murray did it. lie liisl shot himself, ad then attacked me with the loiys.The mystery was quite cleared up ai the ini|iipst, where Major Murray's stuiv was Inline out in every particular. The motive of the attack was also made apparent. One of the witncs.es called Was n woman named Annie Maria Hoodie, of Kim I.»di;c. who had passed as .Mrs Hurray. Roberts made advances to her. which she treated with considerable coldness, but could not reject altogether an mil unit of certain pecuniary obligations, itoberts then designed the attack, it was thought, to get Koberts out :>f the ivav.