TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1611, 16 February 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ; . Patea,Friday..' A man named Cunningham was arrested last night for rape on a girl eight years of age. THE WOODVILLE TRAGEDY. - NiPiEiyFebruary 14. ; Edwards was brought up at the .Resident Magistrate's Court at Ormondville to-day, and committed for trial ion the charge of murdering his wife and family. Yesterday he made .the following statement:—" I had very little sleep for four nights before the murders, I was all right'oh..Sunday,, but towards' evening I got'strange fancies'in my : head. I fancied I heard a crowd of.people outside the house threatening to'bum me and my family alive. I then got apiece of firewood and got ready., to defend myself and.

family. I waite'd some time for- them; to come,. " ? )My ; wife-wanted™ to.go ; for asked -me to go myself, as she jwaß sure;that he-would stop, with uiifor;thevnight if'asked to do so, but "Itwas afraidof going myself or of letting her go on. account of tho fancies in myjhead an'd" the'voices. I heard outside--]jreWQU3ly. I got better and- told her thai I thought T "would be' all right, She put the piece of wood in the fire, but, I heard them coming again, and: took .it off-and j put it beside mo and watched the door. | My wifo : wenl iivand.out- of the bedroom diffei'entv,times and laid down with exhaustion, as she had; very-little sleep for five nights, ' All at 'once ; I-j hoard a whole crowd outside singing! "out that they were going to burn us all alive. I jumped up',, went into ; the bedroom, and knocked, my. wife \ senseless with tho piece of wood, and then the children. I did this that they should not feel the pain when I was cutting their throats,' I coiild not stand to see them burned alive., ,l.,then';cut ray' ; own throat, but the'-' knife being blunt,l|couldnottinishit,'aslheai ; d'them I crawled under theftig bed out of their road. I lay there some time; Lthen heard them at the bajk of the housed I'go'fc oiit in die garden,andjhid beljind a tree, but they would not lkve. me. I then ran across the paddock towards Plank's, but they followed me/ Ileft there and went to Pyke's, but I heard them again, and slid under the bridge, as I thought, they would not follow me there.'. When I told Plank I woald not be taken I did hot- think of you (Constable Schultz) or the police:' I was speaking of the. crowd round me, X believe I will be hanged for it% I deserve, I want to meet my wife hnd ( family, I think I will go to tho samo place as they have, as .they have,?iis they will forgive me, PROSECUTION OF A MEMBER EOR (EVASION OP THE PROPERTY TAX.

- Donemn, February 14. At the police ••■ Court to-day the adjourned charges*! against Mr "Jas, Macdonald, M;H Ey of neglecting to. .comply with the Property Tax Act, in sending in a return pfchis property was heard. After evidence had been taken the Bench said: We think that the! evidence sustains the charge which has been made. The defendants canvicted and lined £25 and costs,.' : .We find by section 93 of the Act.that.he is also to be assessed and charged treble the .amount of the tax of which, he has sought to evade the payment/,ip addition to the tax for which liej-would. have been otherwise liable.