MURDER AND MUTILATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1124, 21 July 1883, Page 1

MURDER AND MUTILATION.

At the Stafford Ass;z a s Thomas Mayos and Mary Elizabeth Mayos, his wife, were indicted for the wilful murder of a daughter of the forum’ hy a previous marriage. The man is a gar dener, 42 years of age, whilst the woman’s age was given as 30,ihough she appeared nearly GO, After the case had proceeded a short time, counsel for the Crown, at the suggestion of his lordship, withdrew the charge of murder against the male prisoner, and pro.cegt|ec] against him for being an acce.s sory after the fact. In Decmibcr last the prisoners left Shrewsbuiy and went to live at Kymersley, near Wellington, the man taking a situation as groom. On 10th January the child was noticed by a neighbor to have two black eyes, a wound on the elbow, and injuries, which she stated her mother bad caused with a stick. A few days later the child was heard screaming in the Imu e, whilst the sounds of what appeared to be the lashing of a strap with a buckle attached to it was heard. Oa the Ist of February the girl was last seen alive. According to the statement of her brother the mother was on that day a long time upstairs with his sister. Next day the female prisoner told s> rn ■ neighbors that she had sent her child to Shrewsbury, and witnesses testified to seeing her carrying a large bundle on 9th February. Mr Jos Bates, a Wei lingtou gentleman, was near Aplepool, when his dog discovered a human head, which was pronounced to have been boiled. Dr Bond also gave it as bis decided opinion that injuries sufficient to cause death must have been inflicted during life. The girl’s legs wore subsequently found in a pool, but up to the present time the body bag not been discovered. The theory of the prosecution was that the woman murdered the child when she was upstairs, and her husband afterwards mutilated and dis posed of the body. When arrested the prisoners made contradictory statements The woman states that the deatli was accidental, and that the mutilation was effected to conceal the body. She was wishing the child’s death not to be known, inasmuch as she was known to have cruelly treated her. A painful scone took place when William Mayos, aged 13, a brother of the deceased, was giving evidence against his stepmother. The lad burst into tears, and could not proceed with his evidence for a little time, the business of the court being meanwhile suspended. The prisoners also cried bitterly, the woman wringing her hands, The lad, who was under examination nearly an hour, stated that his stepmother acted very cruelly to the deceased apd himself, frequently lashing them both, and starving his sister. The jury found the woman guilty of manslaughter, and the man accessory after the fact. The Judge sentenced the female prisoner to 20 years’ penal servitude, and the man to 18 mouths’ hard labor.