MURDER OF SELBY AND BENNETT.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 226, 29 June 1872, Page 3

MURDER OF SELBY AND BENNETT.

At the Albury Police Court, on the 27th May, Joseph James Cottin was charged with the murder of these two hawkers, at Richardson Creek, Stawell, in 18G3. The principal evidence given wrs that of James McCoy. He stated as follows : I was employed ten or twelve years ago on the Richardson Creek. I could not swear that prisoner was employed there then ; he has altered a great deal since, and is now quite diffe> - ent. He very much resembles a man that was employed on that station with me. I could not swear he was the man. I remember two men being murdered on the station. They were hawkers —a man and a boy. They camped at the hut one night. The hawkers left after I had gone, out with my sheep. I think the hutkeeper went to the station with an axe to sharpen. I won’t swear that he did. The hawker Selby and the hutkeeper had some words the night before. Two or three days afterwards I came that way, and saw the dray camped there slilh I did not see tl o hutkeeper after I left in the morning until night. I went to the dray, and saw both of the hawkers were killed. I first told it to the overseer, whose name I cannot remember. The bodies were tied to a tree. Tliey were both dead. Both their skulls were knocked in. I stopped at the station about six weeks after this, and then went to the Bendigo diggings. I saw the prisoner at Swanhill. This was a good number of years after the murder, and about two years ago. I looked at him as a face I knew. I spoke a few friendly words to him. He did not seem to recognise me. I did not reveal anything to his memory in any way. I don’t know if the hutkeeper had a horse on the station. I. am not aware that the hutkeeper took a considerable amount of money away from the hawker. I did not see anybody strike the hawkers with an axe or anv other instrument. I did not sec any blood on the hutkeeper’s shirt when he returned on the morning the hawkers here. I gave information relative to the prisoner to one of the pobce. I stated more to the constable than I have given in evidence. No one was suspected of the murder that I am aware of. I had no suspicions at the time of the murders as to who committed them, but I afterwards had a suspicion that the hutkeeper must have done it. I never spoke to prisoner personally about my suspicions. We talked it over a few weeks ago. I asked him if lie suspected" it. He denied all knowledge of being there. The hutkeeper went by the name of George Thompson. I used to call him Geordie. I never heard him called “ Pentonvilla.” I did not, make my statement to the constable all at once. I had my scruples as to whether the prisoner was the man. I might have sa ; d I was afraid of implicating anybody else. _ I Lhow of no circumstances implicating anyone else in connection with this matter Cottin was discharged. James McCoy was then placed in the dock, charged by the sergeant of police with being an accomplice in the murder of the two hawkers some years ago, and a portion of the evidence against Cottin was used as criminating against McCoy. He was remanded to Stawell, Victoria.— from Albury Banner,