MURDER OF A WOMAN IN DUNEDIN. [BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1793, 3 January 1884, Page 2

MURDER OF A WOMAN IN DUNE DIN. [BY TELEGRAPH — PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Dv> t edix, Monday. A man named William Pearce has been arrested for the murder of Matilda Hancock. The two were cohabiting together. Both were abandoned characters. The woman has been frequently confined for drunkenness and prostitution, whilst Peat cc only a few months since came out of goal, after serving eighteen months on a serious cnarge. The woman was stabbed on the 2!) th instant, and died to-day at noon, and Pearce w.is arrested this afternoon on the charge named. An inquest was held this afternoon, at which the only evidence taken was that of Pearce, who deposed to the identity of the deceased. H>- had known her for eleven years, and had lived with her for four months. She has a daughter seven years old, and she hprself was 42. A post-mortem showed that death resulted from the wound. The woman is the divorced wife of a man who was a wellknown publican in Dunedin some yeais ago. Tuesday. It has transpired that Dr Copeland was called in to see the body of the woman Hancock eaily on the morning on which she died; It is believed that there were several persons present about the time of the quarrel between the two, and that a Mrs Boyd can give material evidence. Boyd attended the woman after the occurrence, and her evidence will probably be taken at the adjourned in* quest of Friday. Pearce's last sentence was for stabbing a man, for which he got twelve months. He was a fish hawker.