STRANGE MURDER CASE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1543, 10 August 1886, Page 3

STRANGE MURDER CASE.

The Wangaratta murder case came on for trial at Beechworth on Monday,, July 12th, before the Chief Justice. , The alleged crime possessed unusual and peculiar features. On the night of the 29th January tho homestead of a farmer named Plum, situated at East Court, about five miles from Wangaratta, was burned to the ground, and the owner was found buried among the ruins. The deceased had not been living very happily with his family, who were all grown up, and he is supposed to have been quits alone when the fire occurred. There was no clue to the origin of the fire obtained for some three days, till suspicion fell upon an elderly married woman named Stevens, who lived in tlft neighborhood, and was known to have been on terras of intimacy with the deceased farmer. It was found that Mrs Stevens had been away from her home on the night of the fire, and that on the previous night she had been at Plum’s house, Plum having offered her £5 to stay with him. Arsenic was found in Plum’s stomach, and arsenic was found in Mr Stevens’ hoqse, About a week afterwards a tin and purse containing cash and deposit receipts amounting in total value io nearly £2SQO, which wore known to have been }n the possession of the deceased, were discovered in the midst of a wood-stack in the yard of Mrs Stevens" house, Mrs Stevens also, when questioned, made contradictory statements t° account for her absence from her house. She was arrested on the charge of murder, the allegation being that she had poisoned Plum to get possession of the money, and had then set fire to the bouse to hide the crime. The greatest interest was taken in the trial. The points for the defence „were fhat Mrs Sfeyeps beipg ip the habit of preserving birds thus kept arsenic in the house j that the money found in her wood-heap was not found there until a week had elapsed, and after the place had'been twice previously thoroughly searched, and that, consequently, it might have been placed there by somebody else ; and tha| though it was admitted she spent Thursday night with pinm, there was no evidence of her haying been there on Friday, on which night the murder took place, The possibility of the hoqse having been ssf sre tq by lightning during the storm which occurred on Friday nighf was also put to the jury. The Chief Justice summed up in favor of tho •ceased, admitting, however, it was perhaps the most suspicious case he had ever known. Mrs Stevens throughout the trial appeared the least interested person in the Court, except when counsel -admitted she spent the night with Plum, when she shed tears. After a long retirement I the jury found her “ Not guilty.”