DYER'S CONFESSION

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1886, 4 November 1874, Page 3

DYER'S CONFESSION

Owing to incorrect assertions being mide by a portion of tbe Press as to Dyer's confession, we (Auckland Evening Star) have much pleasure in publishing the following, which has been courteously forwarded to us by his Lordship Bisbop Cowie.

Bishop Cowie presents his compliments to the Editor of the Evening Star, and will be obliged by bis publishing tbe following statement:—

1. Prisoner 0. Dyer informed the Bishop.on the day after sentence of death was passed upon hira that he poured kerosene over Eliza Battersea from the large tin; hut he did not, until the morning of the execution, confess that he had intentionally sot fire to Eliza Bittersea's hair. 2. From the first and to the last prisoner 0. Dyer declared himself inuocent of any intention to kill Eliza Battersea, but guilly of the deed which caused her death. 3. Prisoner C. Dyer did not say that he lit more than one lucifer after throwing the kerosene over JCliza Battersea j hut that with the same lucifer he threatened several times to set fire to her, darting his hand towards her to intimidate her, and that at last, on her continuing unmoved, he set fire to her hair, ' supposing that he could put it out heforo serious harm was done to her.'-

4. Prisoner C. Dyer from the first allowed that he fully deserved the punishment of death, aud expressed the deepest remorse and penitence for what he had done. The Bishop does not consider him chargeable with hypocrisy, I lie Herald says:—Wo have no desire to prolong the discussion, We accept Bisnop Cowie's statement as correct, that .Dyer" .informed the Bishop on the day after sentence of death was passed upon him, that he poured kerosene over Kliza Battersea from tbe large tin, but he did not uniil the morning of the execution coufess that he had intentionally set fire to Eliza Battorsea's hair." But we also accept as correct the statement of the the Kev. James Wallis, and that is, that Dyer said, forty-eight hours beforo his execution, the woman capsized the kerosene feeder over her body, and that at the ins'nns the head of a matuh which he had struck to light his pipe flew off and ignited the oil. We say that .we accept both these statements made by the reverend gentlemen as correct. Therefore, Dyer must have made two distinct statements, and if he is not" chargeable with hypocrisy," he is chargeable with something else.

The confession came unexpectedly, inasmuch as up to the previous day he had held to one consistent story-that the whole affair was the result of accident — that the unfortunate woman had spilt the kerosene over herself, and that he, coming in at the door at the moment, struck a match upon his pipe, the head of which flying off alighted upon her, aud caused the ignition; that he then carried her to the creek and immersed her, returning to the house and placing her carefully upon tho bed, where she was subsequently found in the condition which ultimately occasioned her death.

Several communications had been made, at the entreaty of some benevolent persons, ministers of religion, and others, with a view to obt in from the Governor a respite of the sentence, bo as to miike further inquiry. The last communication from Wellington was in effeot that no reason appeared to the Governor why the law should not take its course. Dyer leaves a family by his first wife, and this little child by Eattci'fea, who is a thousand-fold an orphan. Let us hope that humauity will stand to her in place of parents. Here surely is an object for charity. He was a man of considerable means at one time. The career of Dyer as a settler was one of considerable energy and activity. He arrived in Auckland in the year 1842, by the ' Louisa Campbell,' of which vessel he was second male. It does not appear how he left that ship, but he next joined a vessel called the 'Aurora,' returning to Auckland, and settling for a time at Kiverhead, whore ho is said to have worked somo time as a sawyer. Ho is next found at M ahurangi, at a place called Dyer's Creek, the creok being called after him from the circumstanco that ho built a schooner there called the' Post Boy.' He went from this place to Pakiri, where ho filled the ollice of looal postmaster for somo time. He had a vessel built for him by Mr Sharp, who was afterwards a witness at the trial. Ho established a store at Pakiri. The body of liver was on. Friday even. ! iuj>at § o'clock, lauded, over to the sag!

in-law of deceased, and was intcrred_ in the cemetery, Bishop Cowie preaching the funeral service. A few acquaintances of the deceased followed the remains to the grave.

The Cross says: -The subject is somewhat ghastly, but after this burial of a great sinner among what remains of other sinners, with the ceremonies of the Church, we hope never again to hear of miserable suicides being denied decent sepulture with decent ceremonials. The following details have been communicated by bis Lordship the Bishop of Auckland: —The immediate cnuso of Dyer's commission of the deed, for which he has suffered the last penalty of the law, was his conviction that Eliza Battersea had told untruths to the cmstable Munro. Tie accused her of it after the constable had left the house.- She denied the accusation, saying, " I hope God may strike me dead if I hav9 done so." These words suggested the horrible idea to'jPyer that he would endeavour to make her realise what the idea of sudden death was. he poured the kerosene over her, and struck two or three matches in succession which he threw at her. The kerosene not igniting, and the woman remaining undaunted, he struck another match and applied it to her hair, and thinking, as he said, that the sudden shock would startle her into confession, and that he could at once extinguish the fire. This he found was impossible, and in his consternation he took her and put her into the creek, and thus extinguished the flames.