THE WIFE MURDER AT LYTTELTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 587, 30 November 1869, Page 3

THE WIFE MURDER AT LYTTELTON.

Our Christchurch correspondent lately telegraphed that Smyth, landlord of the Railway Inn, Lyttelton, had been committed to take his trial for the murder of his wife. A servant, named Thomas Godfrey, gave the following evidence at the inquest:— "■ Mrs Smyth came down to me in the kitchen with some measures to clean at about ten o'clock. She went upstairs again at forty-five minutes past eleven. I did not see any more of her until about one o'clock, when she came head first down the stairs into the kitchen ; she got on her feet and went half-way up, but again fell over backwards downstairs. She again went up, and I heard high words between her and Smyth. He then pulled her down the stairs by the hair of her head after him, and threw her head down on the floor and put bis boot on her throat. He kept his foot on her throat, and pulled from his pocket a rope, and turned her over with her face downwards, and tied, her hands with the rope, and then put a piece of wood in her mouth, and fastened it with strings behind. He went upstairs, and while he was away, I took the gag off her mouth. I was going to cut the ropes,, but Smyth came down, and said I was up to my old games again. I asked whiit he meant, and he said, 'casting her adrift.' He then took her by the legs and dragged her to my bedroom. I went upstairs. Afterwards Smyth came up, and I went back to the kitchen. I then cut loose deceased's hands and feet, which were tied. She threw the ropes she had been fastened with into the cellar, and then went up stairs. I did not hear anything more until a little after three o'clock, when I heard a shuffling at the bar door, as if deceased wanted to get in. I heard the door open, and Mrs Smyth fell down on the floor. Prisoner asked her if she would either go upstairs or down. She went about half way up, he following her. The girl, after that, told me she was sewing on the sofa; they were again quarrelling; he shoved her upstairs, and I did not see them until five o'clock, when Smyth came to the kitchen and took up a knife, saying his wife was dying, and be went upstairs as quick as he could. I followed him into the bedroom; he was sitting on a box with his wife's head between his legs, and he told me to get some brandy. The girl brought some brandy, and Dt Rouse was fetched immediately. On the Tuesday night previous, Smyth had made her fast upstairs. He had been beating her; I could hear it. She was a little drunk. . On Wednesday morning, he again beat her with straps with buckles on. She came down, and

showed me where he had kicked her on the leg, and also showed me her back with the marks on it, and also on her cheek. She sat down in the kitchen, and said she did not know what she should do.—Other evidence was given which showed that the deceased had been ill-used, gagged, and tied by the prisoner. The medical testimony proved that the poor woman's body was shockingly bruised in different parts.