A BOY MURDERER

Temuka Leader, Issue 2401, 20 September 1892, Page 3

A BOY MURDERER

Brisbane, Sept. o. At the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court on Friday last before Mr Justice Harding, Francis CharJ.es Horrocks was again brought up on the charge of feloniously and wilfully murdering Rudolf Weissmuller at Morraree on the sth April. The Court was crowded. The Judge, who summed up the previous day, read over to the jury his notes of the evidence, and the jury retired to consider their verdict at ten minutes to twelve. On returning at a quarter to 3 p.ra. the foreman announced that the jury had found a verdict of guilty with a recommendation to mercy. The prisoner was asked if he had anything to say. but he replied“ No.” His Honor then sentenced him to death, stating that the recommendation to mercy would be sent to the proper quarter. The body of the deceased was found near Hemmant, one Thursday in April, and on the following day the accused was arrested at Tallebudgear, near the Tweed river, on suspicion of being the murderer. He first gave his name as Frank Davis, but he aftpriyards admitted that his name was Frank Horrocks. Ho was identified as a person who left Brisbane with Weissmuller on the previous Tuesday, the two having been staying at the same boarding-house. The examination showed that there was a number of blood stains on various parts of his clothing, and the back of his 'shirt was prqtilated and_ torn, as if the wearer had been engaged in a severe struggle. Tlio accused is a liidlo over seventeen years of age, and ho only left school in Bmbane about a, year ago. Since then he has been employed as a stockman on two stations in the north. Croat interest was tffi-cen in the case, as his father iy a well-known Civil Servant. For his defence, his brother and sister, aged only from ten to twelve years, wore amongst the witnesses in an endeavour to prove an alibi.