THE TASMANIAN MURDERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1097, 26 April 1883, Page 3

THE TASMANIAN MURDERS.

The Hobart Mercury of the 14th inst, pnblishes a report of the iDquest on William Y/ilsoo and Alfred Holman, who were barbnrously murdered by the young men Ogden and Sutherland, near Epping, from which we take the following particulars. Speaking of the prisoners, the Mercurj says : The two were brought out of the cell this morning to attend the inquest, nod when in full view their puerile stature and physique were easily seen. They are both mere striplings. A number of people gathered at the gaol and at the place of the inquest, but evervthing passed off quietly. Mrs Wilson, the bereaved widow, was near the gaol as the prisoners were brought out. One of them smiled in her face, and the insolent act completely agitated her. The little girl, Lizzie Wilson, seem»d completely dazed by the fright she had received.

. Mrs Wilson's evidence was as follows : I am the widow of the late William Wilson, who was one of the repairers on the main line of railway, and residing near the line near Epping. On Tuesday, 11th inst, I saw the body of my late husband at (Jampbelltown Hospital, in presence of tiie coroner anrl jury. I remember last Monday night, the 9lh inst. My husband, Mrsßoratu and my four children and I were in our house that night. There were three boy a and one jirl. Mrs Boram was a lodger for the night. We went to bed about half past 8. All but WiieonJ went to bed. He stayed up to

get a cup of tea. He came to bed just before the passing of the mail train to Hobart, which passes the place about five minutes to 9. He had undressed and gone into bed. He said he was very tired with working hard that day. After we had been in bed some time, a noise was heard like gravel falling on the roof. I was just between a dose and a sound sleep. Wilson was asleep. After a few minutes Mrs Boram asked if we heard that noise. Wilson woke, and replied that it must have been a rat. Mrs Boram was lying on a shake-down in the same room. Wilson went off to xleep again. Another stone came, and Wilson said. " Hollo ! that must be someone." 1 told him to get up and bee where the dogs were, as they had not barked. He did so, lighting a candle, and having found the dotrs had gone out. he got back to bed. He lay a little longer, and another stone came. Wilson jumped up. I said, "Don't go outside," but be drew the bolt, and went out in Ins shirt. J. heard one word, not spoken by Wilson, but I did not know who spoke it, nor what it was. Then I heard a gun shot. 1 jumped out of bed and went to the door, and shouted " Murder, murder." Wilson staggered past, ai:d said, " My dear wife,' or '"My dear Theresa, I'm shot." I saw no' one outside. A voice spoke three times. It said. " C«me out here, missis, or I'll put you where he lies. I'll give yon three timts, and if you don't come out I'll set fire to the place.' I could not recognise that voice as the voice of anyone I knew. I went back into the house and shut the door. The voice outside said, 1 Come on, Kelly, we'll get sticks and set fire to the place and burn them out.' Then the windows were broken in with stones, which came over the bed. The person outside tried the door once. The next I saw was the cottage on fire at both ends, and I heard the crackling of fire. The cottage was of weather-boards. Nothing was spoken while the fire was burning. I was confused, and things may have been said and done that I did not know of. When the flames compelled us to go out, I pulled cut my three boys from the bed towards the door. I said to Mark, the eldest boy, ' Go out first, they mightn't shoot you.' The boy went out. Nothing was done to him. Mrs Boram then went out, dragging a box full of clothes. I remaining inside. A shot was ficod just as Mrs Boram got outside the door. I then ran out. The whole house was in flames, and the place was is light as day from the glare, When the shot was fired Mrs Boram cried out, 'l'm shot.' 1 saw a man, like a boy, standing near the bouse. Mrs Boram was on the ground. The man was two or three yards off. He had a gun in his hand. I took hold of him by the shoulders. That man (indicating Sutherland) was the man. That was just how he stood. That was ♦he* hat. (The witness was somewhat agitated on seeing this man.) I said, ' Spare me ! 0, spare me, will you, to my dc-.v children V He said ' Yes.' I told the ! c' -A-1 to run to Mrs Barker's after tin- boys." I then saw another man there, it was Ogdeu (indicating the man in Court.) I had known him well for some time in tho neighborhood. He was standing at the railway cloae to the hmiHe. When Sutherland answered ' Fes' ho went over to Ogden and spoke to him. He came back to me, and called my little girl Lizzie from where she was making away through the gate. He said to her. pointing to Ogden 'Do you know tha+ chap standing there V She said. •Yes, Jim Ogden.' He again went to Ogden and spoke to him. Sutherland r-m past me to the gate after the girl. Lizzie had then started off again. He overtook Lizzie. I stood still. He said to Lizzie. 'Come on, you must go with me.' H« dragged her by the shoulder towards Epping Forest. I ran after him and begged of him to let the child remain with ma The child cried and said ' Let me go to my dear mother.' Sutherland told me to go b'ck. I still followed, and then he put the barrel of the gun across my breast, saying, 'if you don't go back I'll shoot you.' Ogden was going on about twenty yards ahead towards the bush. I ran down the road screaming, and got into a tussock to try and hoar the voice of my ehild. I could hear her screaming. " I made for Mrs Robert Barker's a neighbor, where I knew there was a man. 1 shouted as I got to the door. I saw Robert Barker. He opened the door, and 1 told him everything. The house was still blazing. The house is about hplf a mil- from Mrs Barker's. I »sked Barker, William Sutherland, aud James Smith, whe were there, to go to my assistance. They dressed themselves. Barker loaded the guns but the men did not go. Smith said that if they went outside the men might bo under a bush and perhaps let tire at them. I named Ogden to them, saying it was Jim Ogfcen Barker also said the two men might shoot at them if they went out, and he then pulled the blind aside and looked at the blazing hut. Barker also said that his mother wasn't well. None of the men went out. I remained there till daylight, till the mail train went by at nearly six o'clock. Then 1 went to Mrs Baker's, a neighbor, the owner of a house next to ours, but on the roadside, and there I found Lizzie safe and unharmed. The three boys were also there. Mrs Boram was with Mrs Bowley. I remained at Mrs Baker's with the girl. The next thing 1 saw was the arrival of Constable Callaghan. I went with him along the line. While the house was burning I saw my husband through the window ; he wus lying on his bands and face outside ; I did not see him from that time until he was in the hospital.

Sub-Inspector Palmer, who took the prisoners into gaol said-On the 11th I took over from the custody of Coustable Phillip, in Epping Forest, James Sutherland and James Ogden, now present, and escorted them in Page's brake towards Campbell town. When passing the burned ruins of the cottage on the main road Sutherland drew the attention of Ogden to it, saying, ' Here you are, there's a sight ; grand, isn't it ? Ogden said nothing, ' Well,' Sutherland said, ' he was a old fool, you know. We didn't mean to shoot him ; we only meant to bring him out and have a lark with him, by throwing a few pebbles on the roof, and when he came out, if he had been civil, nothing would have happened him. But he said ' If you're not 0 ff t niy . shaver, whoever you are, I'll put a charge of shot in you. I thought it time to look out then, and I said, (language inaduiissable), and let him ha?e it. It wa» hia own fault, or i I would not have shot him. Wo put a ' match in the shanty, and it went like

shavings ; and when that old woman came out, we give her fits. I'm sorry I didn't give that other ugly old something too.' Sutherland was smiling self-com-placently while the witness was giviug this narrative.

Mr Palmer continued : Sutherland also said, 'The girl ; I like the girl, I uAiidn't find it in my heart to harm her.' The other evidence in the case added no details of any importance. In connection with the murder of Holman the following testimony vyas given : Harold Areher deposed—l live with my mother at Northbury, near Longford. I wis on the main road on Wednesday, the 11th inst. When getting to Gibson's Fairfield gate I saw a man lying in the road on some bedding or cushions. Supposing him drunk I pulled up to more him aside. The man said,' I'm shot' I said I would ride on for assistance. The mau shouted as I rode away, ' Help, help, I'm shot.' and put his hand to his side. He called out again in rather a loud tone. He rvsed his body straight while speaking to me. I suppose he had a hat or other covering on his head, for I saw no blood on his face. The gravel near the spot was moved as if to cover something. I could see no blood at all about him. I went to Sppng and reported tho circumstances to Flood. I had previously heard that a man and a woman had been shot. The man now in the hospital dead is the same man I sw. The hot produced was not on the man's head when I saw him on the ground. James Smith, a coachman in the employ ofJSamuel Page, at Snake Banks, deposed as follows : - I recognised the body as that of Alfred Holman. On Tuesday, Flood came with me, driving as far as Fairfield gate, and showed me the body. Holman was dead. I recognised him, and so did others. I went along some few hundred yards, looking for the lemonade cart, which we knew Holman had been driving Mr Page pulled up. Constable Phillips, Curran and myself got out to look for the cart. We traced it by tracks on the ground. Phil ips was leading, 1 was next, and Curran and Flood close behind. We followed the tracks a short distance, and came to where the cart had been twisted about. Then we again found the right track. Phillips was still on the lead, and I was close behind. I saw through the scrub two men. I knew Ogden at once, and had known him for years. The men present are the two I saw in the scrub. They were at the back of the cart apparently getting cases out. I put up my gun and covered them, and called to Phillips quietly, 'Here they are; will I shoot them?' Phillips then saw them, and said I was not to shoot, because we could take them without shootmg. Phillips called out to them to throw up their arms. As soon as they ran. Phillips and I ran after them. I called twice to them to throw up their arms, They took no notice and went on running. Phillips then fired his revolver and I then fired my gun, intending to shoot straight at them. Prisoners then turned round and threw up their arm. Phillips then went up and handcuffed them, I covered them in the meantime. We brought them j to Page's brake, and afterwards brought < Holman's van to Epping station. To the Coroner—l asked them what they shot the poor unfortunate Holman for. They did not answer. I told them I could blow their brains out. I was excited, and would have done it only for Phillips. I knew that a man had been shot the night before. We would have tried the murderers without a judge and jury. Sub-Inspector Palmer gave the following additional evidence concerning the demeanor of the prisoners :—He deposed to having received the prisoners from Phillips, and taling them to Cleveland, where the residents expressed indignation at the murder of Holman. After leaving Cleveland Sutherland said,' Ah, well, he might not hava been B 0 jolly, and then, perhaps, he might have passed, for about four months ago I met him on the road near Perth, and asked him for a ride ;he told me to go to .' I remarked that Holman was an eld friend of mine, and that I was sorry for him. Sutherland said, 'You should only have seen him tumble off that there box; it was a caution I tell you. He has a rare dollop in him, for the old gun had a fistful of shot in her.' Sutherland talked a great deal, but this was the most material, Ogden said nothing. The prisoners were committed for trial on charges of wilful murder. |