THE WEST COAST MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1074, 22 February 1883, Page 3

THE WEST COAST MURDER.

Two persons hare made confessions with regard to the murder cf Denis Quinlivan which occurred at Lyle on the West Coast on the 28th of January last.

John Davidson’s confession was to the following effectHe was going to

be married to Mrs Mary Gramatica seven weeks from the date of the murder. On the 28th he came to the house very wet, took off his clothes, lit a lire, drank half a buttle of brandy, left the door open as Mrs Gramatica vvna out, went to sleep on the sofa, and never woke up till next morning when he drank what was left in the bottle, Mrs Gramatica afterwards called ©ut that she was dying for a drink, and he went out and get some brandy which he gave her. When he got his shirt there was blood on the sleeve of it, and Mrs Gramatica told him that Denis Qunliran had come home with her, that he attempted to knock bis (Davidson's) brains out as he lay asleep on the sofa only that she prevented him from doing so, and that he had blood in his hand and wiped it on his (Davidson’s) shirts-leeve. Quinlivan was knocked down on the floor by Mrs Gramatica, and lie went into a fit, and when she could not arouse him she put him out of the back door, and she saw a man rolling him off the road afterwards. She next got an axe and made him (Davidson) swear he would say nothing about it. She also said she saw Quinlivan and Little Ben fighting. Mary Gramatica’s confession, which is more likely, was as follows : On the 28th of January last, I met Denis Quinlivan as Rosy Boyle’s. He said if I did not object he would ace me and the child home. I thanked him and said 1 had no objection, I opened the door which was not locked. [ found John Davidson standing on the floor when I went in. I said, ‘You are making yourself very comfortable.’ He said * Why not V Quinlivan came in after me, and sat on the sofa. 1 also sat down beside him, He had a bottle of brandy witli him. and asked for an empty glaas, I said ‘ I have no glasses,’ and gave him a small mug. lie poured out soon brandy for me and I drank it. He helped Davidson to some, and then himself. He then put the bottle and mug on the table. He asked Davidson when he came down. Davidson said ‘ Not long ago.’ They were conversing together, but I did not pay much attention to what they were saying. Quinlivan asked me to let them have another drink which h did. They then began to talk to one another. Quinlivan said ‘ You are imposing on this woman. I hare respect for hei brother, and I don’t want to see it.’ Davidson called him a liar, and said, ‘ Anyone that goes between that woman and me I will do something to.’ Then Davidson called Quinlivan a bad name, and Quinlivan threw his coat off and stood up to hit Davidson, but he did not get time to hit him. Quinlivan came back again and sat down on the sofa and showed me his hands, saying ‘ Look here.’ I screamed, and said to Davidson 1 Oh you , see what have you done,’ Quinlivan was stabbed in the wrist, whhh bled very freely. He seemed, not to say much then. My little girl was screaming when she saw the blood, and I got a bandage and bound his wrist up. He again asked for brandy, and I gave it to him. Davidson said the best thing I could do was to take my child and go to bed. I took no notice of him. He again said ‘ Take the child, do be quick,’ I asked Quinlivan if his wrist was painful, and he replied 1 No,’ but asked me to give him more brandy. Davidson helped himself to some. I then went to bed, the obild being cross. I left Davidson and Quinlivan together, and they had no more words in my presence, I went to sleep and did not awake till morning. I awoke pretty early. Davidson was sitting on my box beside my bed. I asked him what he was doing there, He replied ‘ Nothing, but you had better have a drink,’ and I said ‘ All right.’ He gave it to me. I said I must soon be getting up. He said { You won’t stir out of this room before twelve o’clock to-night.’ I looked at him and thought he was mad, and asked him what he meant, I saw the table up against my bed-room door, and asked him what he meant by putting it there, He said ‘ To keep you and your child in your room.’ He said { lf you stir from this to-day or let your child out, I won’t say what the consequences may be.’ I then got frightened of him, seeing what he had done to Quinlivan’s wrist, and turned to my child and said no more to him, but stopped in bed, I don’t know what he was doing about the house, as I could not get out to look, the door being barred. He then came to my bedroom and said he was going to the Lyell, and if I got up or let the child open the door to anyone that knocked I would suffer for it. I asked him for God’s sake to remove the table from the door, and if he did I would not get up or go

out. Hi' said, l lf yon j rnnii-'' mo that, 1 will.’ Ho linn mov'd (he table. I got out of bed immediately to see wliat was the matter. He puslie mback, and asked me if (bat was 1 lie w;.y to keep my promise. He said lie wes going to the Lyell, and asked me if 1 ' wanted anything. I told him I wanted a bottle of vinegar and a bottle of salad oil, He went towards the Lyell, saying be would not be half an hour away, and to remember what he had told me, As soon as he went away I got up to see what was the matter outside. ‘I saw what appeared like a heap of blankets, half on the sofa and half on the floor. I saw two boots, which the blankets partly covered over. I said, ‘ My God, that must be Quinlivon.’ I went back into ray room then, and {bought he might be only sleeping, but thought he was in a queer position and used to look out to see if I could see him move, but I could not. I then began to dress myself, which took me a good while, feeling so frightened. Before I finished dressing Davidson came back, and brought the vinegar, oil and brandy. I asked him what ho had done. He said he took Quinlivan’s heart’s blond, and * there he lies.’ He told me to go hack to bed, which I did. and stopped there all day, and never got up till Thursday morning; but I could not sleep. On Monday night I heard Davidson drag something out of the house through the back door, but could not tell in what direction he dragged it, or what he did with it, He came back in a quarter of an hour, tie called me after daylight on the Tuesday morning, and said I could get up. He got a bag and put some blankets in it, and changed his trousers. He wore a pair belonging to Christy, and pnt them on, and put his own in a bag. He took the bag with him, and said be would be back by eleven o’clock, which be was. He had a dagger, and threw it over the terrace in the morning, just at the back of my house. He then changed his shirt. There was blood on it, Ho took it off and burned it with a match. This is all I know about Quinlivan and Davidson, This statem°nt has been made by my own free will, and without any question being put to me, I requested Constable Keating to bring Inspector Emerson to take the statement, which is true—(Signed) Mary Gramatica.”