The Great Barrier Murder.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2530, 21 February 1887, Page 2

The Great Barrier Murder.

THE'CONFESSIONS.'''^ (UNITED FEEOS ASSOCIATItfir.) ~v Auoioakd, ?Bbruaiy2l, At 7.15 a.m. on January 24th, Caffrey asked for an' interview: with the gaoler, and told him that Pena would make a statement with tiini to acknowledge'the deed that had beeaT*' done, He acknowledged.-the fairnsw of the trial, and the zeal of the solicitors. After that ho saidj." I shall be quite satisfied to meet my fate like i man," At 9.80 Penn was called into the gaolor's offico, and in tho presence of. Caffrey made a statement, of which the principal portions are as follows; —When they left the cutter they went ashore to get Mrs Seymour by fair means or foul. At the house they asked for butter, to get' them all inside. In order to enable Caffrey to get admittance they sat down just inside the door, and in four or fivo minutes in rushed Johnny, Ha challenged Taylor, and the latter not responding, Caffrey fired one shot; Ift attempted to fire several times aftt® wards, but the revolver missed fire.i During that time Lincoln Taylor tried to wrest tho other revolver out of Cafirey's hand. Penn stepped up behind Caffrey to prevent tho Taylors >. crowding on him. Taylor got away to ff, the 'bed room, and both men 1 fired a shot at liiin. Caffrey tried to forco tho door open, but failed, and Penn went to his assistance. Ho was ■ just in the act of shoving, when the' door opened, aijd Caffrey rushed into No. I bedroom. Taylor caught hold of him, and they both struggled into No 2 bedroom. Taylor • was smothered with blood, and Caffrey tried hard to throw him off, but .could not succeed, and Penn said, ">Why don't you put him out of the roa ; d at once. He said, " I can't 1 Mvrevol- >• ver won't go round," Ponn then f presented his revolver at Taylor, ' and ,: I fired. The latter released his' hold,' < and fell. Caffrey told him to 'go' and stop the old woman "from Wn|pg about, which he did. They jreturhed to tho cutter with the intention of sailing for America. During thfftimo l they were in No. 2 bedroom " Johnny was much excited, and it was mainly through that that ho (Penn) fired tha last shot at his command. 4 _ Caffrey's statoment is nearly tßreajt j f times as long as Penn's, which. covers two sheets of foolscap,-and con* tains minuter details, of their'proceedings. '•••'.

John Oafirey then said; As I ' hops '• • t0.860 heaven lam going to give v. statements. In starting I ha4t#o'' revolvers and Penn had oua, ' I; took some cord and said if-Tdylert' : should resist we should make hi# fast,.and so as ho should not. would riut a'piece off his tongue .. Had :' ' no intention of taking a knife for thai • : purpose but said I would take a' knife, > with me because I might have more, 1 . • than one man to tie up. Seymour 1 might be there also.' (Marginal note. here states Penn denied Caffrey made ' statement at time of going ashore but several days after at sea; -.he. also 4 f\ said he would have earmarked him. ■" Caftey would not be certain aud said itmight have been afterwards, and he ' might have mentioned earmarking himj 1

'As wo too leaving tho cabin I Brid to Miss Graham in tlio presence of Penn don't look scared Grace because though we wo are taking revolvers it is moroly tojgive thorn a scare. They might also have such things as I bc;lievethey will liavo "meaning firearms" it will also prevent them using any. After .detailing plans for getting into Taylers house. (Mrey -goes on to Bay I rushed into the house and chalftmged Taylor to put up his hands,' (before that; as I entered the house, I noticed. Taylor with a piece of iron in hia hand, I did not-know what it was). Penn here interjected a "butcher JskoWer." I repeated -the challenge ■ Bovoral times, he said " Johnny," and ( rushed onrne and caught my left wrist. ■ Tlio boy at the same time caught hold ■ ;og£iy rovolvor in my loft hand, his and sister Janio also rushed , on iiie, . Whiletho strugglo was going on I noticed Penn standing between the door and the fireplaco, I struck Taylor twicswithmy right hand in which I had ulfliichod the revolver. -11 l tho meantime; the boy wrenched • , away the revolver from my left hand. '"Through hitting Taylor I succeeded in '-forcing him back from mo! As I did laid my rovolvor across his face, betwoen him and his wifo as v/tiidy Btood, and it had tlio ..effect of ; ;l ß(;aj:ing Taylor,- I nev<sr intended the f ,shot to hit Taylor or anyone else. I ...liovor pointed a rovolvor at tho boy; I rhexfc saw Ponn put his rovolver to Taylor's head and (ire 'in tho kitchen'. Taylor staggered and rushed for the bodroom. I was intent on getting Mrs Seymour, so I rushed to. her bedroom, and tried to force the door, but could «not, and I asked Penn to assist me. As I entored the room (Taylor had "boon leaning against the door) I saw that ho was bleeding. Tho blood was !. running down his face, and ho clutched . ho® f me. After throwing him clear andls I was in the act of going into '.jbedroom No. 1, I saw Penn and Taylor wrestling with each other in No. 2 room near the door. I saw , Penn with a revolver pointing at •Taylor's.head, and he fired. As Taylor fell, I saw a black mark ton his head whore the bullet had Btruck. ' I then rushed into No. •1 bedroom,' and Penn followed. I Baid," Here's a iix; see what's done, and sho has got away after all; lot us ? hurry and try to prevent her getting 'away altogether." We left the house, ''but I returned, and on looking into -room No. 21 saw Taylor ill a sitting .position, evidently dead. I looked 'through the house to see it I could find a second revolver, but did not succeed. I remember feeling strongly temped to shoot myself I was so much griovod at what had taken place. As Tom and I wont towards the dingy I then first noticed that wo both had blood on our hands, and wc agreed to 'Bay iiothing to Graco Graham'about it. While Taylor and I wrestlodfrom No 1 and No 2 bedroom his blood got upon my hands and that is how I got blood upon'mo. Stfifeu, gaoler, appended a statement Wat upon tlio suggestion of the Rev Hill, ho confronted tho two conviota in the. cleryman's presence to give them aii opportunity of corroding TSrhat appeared to bo discrepancies, CaSrey said it was correct thoy wont ashore to. get Mrs Soymour by fair means or foul, explaining the lattor 15$ d to mean' that if he resisted they •would tie up Taylor and • Seymour,' if the latter was there. Eo Penn's statojment that they both fired a' shot at Taylor it was possible ho iired a second aliot but if ho did tho first was as ho was struggling with Taylor, Ho .only recollocted firing ono shot. Penn, in his supplementary stato- . inent, said ho would not affirm that .Caffrey did lire when he (Penn) fired ■ first, but he believed so, as he knew he wounded him with that shot, but could not say in what part of tho head. Ho never spoke after. He fired first . shot when he saw him attempt to leave. There was a slight struggle with him and Taylor before tho last shot was fired by Caffrey. "I went voluntarily with you in the abduction 'of Mrageymour, and against the world.'"*