A TASMANIAN TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2207, 28 May 1891, Page 1

A TASMANIAN TRAGEDY.

Hobabt, May 18, A temble tragedy , has happened at Richmond. Mrs A. J. Ogilvie, wife of a well-known and respected settler, went into a field to gather mushrooms on Thursday, but not returning, a search was made all night without success till the morning, when her dead body was found hanging to a willow in the river, her head half blown off by a gun shot. Thera are signs that the body was dragged fifty yards. A man named Arthur Colley was arrested for the murder. Locally there is great indignation over the affair, the deceased lady being highly respected and Oh most affectionate terms 'with her husband and family. iAn inquest was >held on Saturday touching the death of Mrs Ogilvie. The evidence showed that the body was first discovered by Patk. Guerin, one of the search party. He noticed blood stains near the river bank, and, with David Perry, followed the trail some three chains, and Guerin then saw floating on the water the skirt of the woman’s dress, and getting hold of this hauled the body ashore. They discovered a large wound on the right side of the skull, evidently caused by ithe close discharge of a firearm. Marks of dragging the body, and an evident attempt to obliterate them, were noticeable close to the river. Colley, the young man arrested for the murder, went out early on Thursday morning, ostensibly to trap and shoot rabbits, and travelled in the direction of the Ogilvie’s property, having with him a gun and shot. Some similar shot is said to have been found in the brain of the deceased. He returned in the evening, and since his arrest has made no statement. He has a bad police record, and has done two years for indecent assault, and now awaits his trial on another charge of attempted rape, being out on bail. Al the inquest an open verdict was returned.