THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY. Fuller Particulars. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Saturday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1718, 10 July 1883, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN TRAGEDY. Fuller Particulars. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Saturday.

The scene of last niyht's dreadful occurrence was visited by crowds of people today, but there is lithe visible to gratify their curiosity, the police having last uiglit cleared away nearly all the evidence of the crime. Some of the palings of the fence surrounding Mr Read's house, against which Mr and Mrs Scephenson were standing when the explosion took pl.vce, are stained with blood, and brains are visible scattered over the laurel hedge and fruit trees in the garden, and some even on the roof of the house. The deceased man, who is said to be about thirty-five yeais of age, has parents living Otago, and a sister married to a contt actor in Dunedin. As early as 1866 he was a clerk in the Bank of New South Wales on the West Coast, and four years later was tianferied to the bank's branch at Cromwell. It is understood that his services were dispensed with, and he brought an action against the bank for wrongful dismissal, but failed to recover damages. Then he engaged in quartz reefiug, and became owner of the Caledonian claim, on the Carrick Range. For a time the mine turned out well, but afterwards it ceased to give a profitable yield. Then he gave way to intemperate habits, and a downward course followed. He went to Taranaki and Canterbury, and supplied stores on the railway works, and whilst he was away from Dunedin the ptofcection order, which he alleged was the cause of much of his marital trouble, was granted. Quite recently he took to pick and shovel work, and his latest employment was as groom to Campbell and Crust, expressmen. Stephensonmade numerouaattemi)tsto get the protection order which was granted in 18S0 set aside, but the magistrate always refused. Unsuccessful in moving the court in his favour, he communicated with the members of the Government, and the Hon. Mr Oliver/ Wtff^lEPeW of gntting an amendment ofj-; the'^j^lrried Women's Property Act to* meet his case, and he addressed a lengthy , oommtinioation to the Minister of Justice setting forth the hardships of fch&iexistfife 1 %. A letter from him on tmi.sttbject Waafcddressed to a local pape/iv a&&*VV* l (r6& a couple of months ago.l H'eS cnd^av^[|ed to persuade a legal) J^nMejn^^^fliia city to take up his {Mtis^Rf?ißjpraer discussed the matter in ji: frame ot&ind that was likely to leM|l|bV6Qe rr to tsaisfc him. His fancied wrtinfivfi^^depnved him of the power to on the subject, and he was -always vowing to be revenged on those whom he declared had injured him. He was advised to clear out from the colony, but declined. Not later than yesterday he was heard to declare that he would " make New Zealand ring with his wrongs." Stephenson's great grievance seems to have been that every obstacle was put in the way of his seeing his children ; indeed, that he was practically denied access to them. Marian Corfield, who is head milliner at Messrs Saunders and Mcßeth's, states that yesterday eyening she and Mrs Stepbenson left the shop together abont five minutes past six o'olock. She lived in the same ' neighbourhood as Mrs Stephenaon, and frequently 'went homeward along Princess-street and Manor Place' with Mrs" Stephenson. On this occasion, as they were' passing Mr Lainer's fruit shop, Miss Corfield saw Mr I.Stephenaon standing ,on the pavement,' hewfoljQ^edssheny untiUnear the Priuce of Wales 'Hotel.fwhen ho twent un*

on the right hand side of Mrs Stephenson and spoke to her about their children. He said he had Fred out of the school, and Went' to the other school to get Sissie uway also, but was refused admission to see her.' He seemed nervous and agitated in his manner, and Miss Corfield thought this might be the effects of drink. Mrs Stephensou seemed all right and in good spirits when Miss Corfield parted from them, but she did not speak to her husband at all. Miss Corfield parted from M rs Stephensou as usual at the corner of Melville-street, in Manor Place. Mr John Blakely, tent-maker, of Prin-ces-Btreeb south, saw Mis Stephenson and Miss Corfield passing his shop on their way home last evening, and he also noticed the husband following behind them. He had repeatedly seen Mi Stephenson following his wife along the street when she was accompanied by anyone, but if Mis Stephenson was alone her husband was in the habit of walking alongside her and talking to her. The inquest touching the death of George Timothy Stephenson and Maty Stephenson, his wife, was hold to-night at seven o'clock. Henry Blyth Stenhouse, Maitland Stand, father of the deceased, Mary Stephenson, deposed ; My daughter was 33 years of age, and a native ot Scotland. She has beon married ten years, but was about five years separated from her husband on account of his idle habits and threats which he had made. The deceased, Stephenson, about two years ago, went up country, aud wanted to bonow money oi me. He threatened that if he came back broke fiom the North he would cut his wife's throat, the children's throats, and his own. He used c\ery night, on her way home to follow her, and molest and abuse her. He also abused me, and on one occasion even Resulted me. She had given him about £30, aud he always wanted more. She did not appear to be fiightened of him. Whenever he could get drink he gave way to imtemperate habits. I never saw anything strange or peculiar about his manner. I last saw him on Thuisday at my house. He wanted to see me, and when I said I would have nothing to do with him he asked f>ee the missus She saw him, and told him she would have nothing to say to him. He went away without making any tin eats. He used to blackguard us when he came to the house. About two months ago, when he got seven days for using language to her calculated to piovokc a breach of the peace, he said to her, " One of us must die.' ' Yet she never seemed to be afraid. I heard the report made by the explosion of -dynamite, but did not sue the victims some time afterwards. I had my *n feais about his thicats. The man was not safe to go about, and I often went to bed not knowing if I would see the light of day. He appealed to be fond of the children, but they having heard him use bad language were afraid of him. Andrew Turnbull Anderson, contractor, brother-in-law of the deceased Stephenson, 39 years of age, a native of Lincolnshire, England. He had been in tins colony nearly all his life. I have seen him daily of late, and knew him to be staying at the Spanish restaurant. He had been in woik till last Saturday. Lately ho had been veiy despondent — indeed so much so that my clerk remarked to me on the day of his death that he was \ery clow n-heai ted. This despondency was caused, I believe, by domestic troubles. He was always wanting to see his children. When he was at Work he was very steady. Yesteiday, at half- past four, I taw him. He had just received iome letteis fiom the Minister of Justice, which he said gave him no encouragement in connection with upsetting the piotection older and seeing his childien. These, he said, weie his last hopes, and he could not settle down in the fiame of mind in which he was. At four o'clock he told me he had been out to Andei son's Bay with .«omo dynamite, that the party was not there, and he had left it. He brought the dynamite down fiom Hindon last Tuesday, wheie he had been working as a miner. He seemed very down-hearted when I lastsaw him. I have heard him say, after he had been refused to see the childien, " Don't be surprised if they find me dead on their doorstep some morning," and that he had nothing to live for, and he might as well be dead as alive. This was some time ago. I opened his box, which was at my house, to-night, and found a little bag containing dynamite. It was nothing mi usual for him to buy dynamite, he being a miner. He always talked of his domestic troubles. Marion Corfield, head milliner at Saunders. Mcßeth, and Co.'s, knew the deceased women for some time. Witness accompanied her part of the way home on the evening of the murder. When they passed Hauler's shop Stcphpiison was writing a note on some boards outhide. He followed them, and scud 11 good evening" to his wife, and began to speak about thr childien Speaking to his wife he said, " God alone has joined us, and He nlonc should pait us." Mis Stephenson said something lightly about the weather to the witness. Her husband replied : " You talk lightly to your lady friend ; your sister Maigeiet met death without much warning; lookout do not meet death the same." Witness noticed he was very neivous and excited. Witness left them, proceeding towards Maitland -street at the corner of Mehillestreet and Manor Place, Mrs Stephenson saying good night. To the jury : Mrs Stephenson appeared to me to be a very good-tempered woman. Hobert Gray stated that after the last witness left the deceased and his wife he noticed the male deceased following close behind his wife, and when near a lamp post he took a few quick steps and caught up to his wife. Witness then lost si^ht of them, and pioceeded down Manor Place. He afterwards heard a report, but did not know the cause. Mrs Stephenson did not appear frightened, and her husband was quite sober. Archibald Cargill, clerk, residing in Manor Place, deposed that about six o'clock he was standing in front of his own house, and saw what appeared to be a squib twirled in the air. While this was going on there were two very loud shrieks in a female voice, then followed a tremendous blast, which he concluded must have been caused by the discharge of a gun. He ran up the street, and passed two figures, one in a standing and the other in a sitting posture. The woman was the recumbent figure. He and his brqttyerwere surprised that the figures were nationless, and they turned ilncLstruek a' match. Both figures were Headless. • Information was at once given to\sh& police, , . Djayjii Cariwel'l gave evidence regarding lh c visit of^ihe male deceased to the Ai^hwn^Jjtay quarry. He wanted to ailHotn? dynamite, He left a package Of ttfynainite, about four pounds weight, in, witness keeping. This was at one (PoWcfron th&clay of the murder. Deceased was in anything but low spirits then, and talked freely with the men.' Police-Sergeant Gearing gave evidence regarding the searching of the bodies. Among other things he found a dynamite cartridge in Stephenson's trouser pocket. He produced lettei'3 from the Minister of Justice found on the deceased, upholding the decision of the Resident Magistrate regarding the protection order before referred to. The Coroner then summed up. There was no doubt, he said, deceased had caused the death of both himself and his wife. The question for the jury was to decide on the state of mind the male deceased was in at the time of this horrible tragedy. 'The jury found a verdict that the deceased Stephenspn, and his wife, met death by a dynamite cartridge fired by Stepbenson, but that there was not sufficient, .evidence. to>6how what state of •mind he w^as in. They added a rider - cqinfne'nding that no person be allowed to purchase oc -use dynamite without »