The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

?HE NEW ZEALAND MURDERS.
(From the Melbourne Argue).

Birgess, Levy, abd Kelly were, on the ?rid August,
comnitted for trial on the charge of having murdered
Dudey. De Pontius, Kempthorne, and Mathieu. Sul-
livai wax first placed in the dock at the Police Court,
on .he same charge. He confessed the crime to the
mice, and wan accepted as Queen's evidence. On the
ith August the prisoners were brought up at the :Kel-
ton Police Court, charged with the murders. After
tome evidence for the prosecution bad been given, bur-
pee made a most remarkable confession, in which be
!idly admitted his own guilt, and that of the approver
3ul ivan. The statement occupied five hours in de-

Ivery, and vial; a minute deaci-i-ption of a series of
:Times almost unparalleled in atrocity. He thus re-
lated the manner in which the five victims were rubbed
and murdered:—

They (the men, arrived within about fifteen yards, when
letrpped out and said, "Stand ! ball-up" Ilia. means
all of them to get together. I mode them fall back on the
upper side or the road, with their fares up the range, and
Sullivan brought me his gun, and then tied their
bands behind them. The horse was very quiet all
this time ; he did not move. When they were all tied,
Sullivan took the horse up the hill, and put him in the
bath. Ile cut the rope, and let the swags fall en the
wound, and then came to me. We then marched the men
do ern lb.' incline to the creek. The water at this time
was barely running Up this creek we took the men.
wit I dare say five or six hundred yards
epee it, clilch took us nearly halt.an-hour to arc implish
Then we to, -iced to the right up the range; we went I dare'
say 11, yee,4 from the creek, and there we sat down wth
the men. I galo, to Sullivan put I,wn your gun and ariamh
these men which, he did I asked them their several
name.; they told me. I asked them If they were expected
at Nelson They said to. if such their lives would tam
men 'pared. In money we took 11l odd. I said, "Is
bit all you have You /1,1 better tell me" Sullivan said,
. Here I. a bag of goi4.” laid, "What's on that pack-
tome? Is there any gold," w.hen Lempthorne said, " Yes,
oy gold is hi the portmameen, e;id I trust you will no: take
t all " Well, I gain, •' we must 4.40 you away one at •
Moe, become the range is steep jost here, and then we will
et yon go" They said "All right," molt cheerfully. Wetted
heir feet, and took Dudley with us ; ee went anent sixty
erds with him. This was thrnugh a scrub. law., erranged
he night previous that it would he best to choke them. to
:ate the report of the arms might be heard from tie road,
and it they were missed they never would be found. So we .
d • hankerclaief over his eyes, whew Sullivan took the
lath off nig waist, put it round hts neck, and so we strangled
Olin. Sullivan, alter we bad killed the old mut, found
Ault wtte the way he was choked. H• maid, 'The nest
we do I'll show you my way." I said, "1 cave never
done such a tbing before; I have shot a man, but reeve
choked ore." We returned to the others, when tecepthern•
said, "W! noise wat that?" I said it was matted by break-
ing thronth the scrub This wag taking too mum) time, so it
was agree •to shoot thtm With that I said. "We'd take
you no fur, her, but separate you, and then Ins ens of you,
and he cut relieve the others." So. with that. Sullivan took
De Is....ntlue to the left of where Kempthorra was sitting.
I took llsthieu to the right. I tied a strap ound his legs,
and shot him with a revolver. Ile yelled, I ran from him
with my gun in my hand. I sighted Kemptkorne, who had
risen to hit feet. I presented the gun and slot him behind
the right ear. His life's blood welled free him, and he
Ailed instantaneously. Sullivan had shot D. runtime in the
meantlma, nd then came to me. I said, " Dok to Mathieu."
Indicating the spot where be lay. He shorty returned, and
waid, "I 1.44 to 'chi,' that fellow, he wan lot dead" (a cant
word, meaning that he het to stan aeturnlng to the
road we passed where De Pontine lay sod was dead,
Sullivan geld, " This is the digger; the otters were all store-
keeper., This is the digger let's cover Om up, for should
the other, oe found they'll think he due it and sloped"
(meaning re had gore So with that we threw all the
stones out Ito ttml then left him. The bloody work took
nearly an 1.,00 and a half from the ttile we stopped the
men.

THE BURGOMASTER'S MISTAKE.
The foi2owing story is narrated f the chief
Irate of a calebrated watering plat :
A carts burgomaster found V ice inler red shoes wastreed
lei too e,o wly on the kibea of Virtue and wishing to make
hie owniiu• civic dominion the paigon ore of Christen-
dom, he said i noproprlety should runes' its ugly—or hand-
some es it ma i he—featuree, and at si events not show itself
In the Ilurseal. .kle had (Malty mete up his mind to this
virtuous resolve evening after .ttelng In the public
assembly loom two g. tidily dressed Idles, got up ln similarity
of attire, though of .e.PParent morel.re of age. Toe
txtravagnily high, crinoline not
dwrethemg slewtegr,enel eo,uptld
thirep of
crim.o.,
with golden
tees
heel. ; the hair was nrawn c,pe fashion to an im-
mense in front with scarlet
Meuse rearward longitune,
hate halt concealed m white f eatNd",• Tha worthy civic chief,
boiling elm rage, took his wife enrisl.iehoo, and was,
of course hacktd up In mischief, !test day, at the most
pub'o hour hr w,ui, to the if weed. at., behold the two
ladle. were laughing and charting s their usual Maces The
burgornaslars 00,1 at the 4 nor for Oxon:tent Until a policemen
passed. Ile callen him hack. "1 hae•dis.greeable duty for you
to perform " Of course policenel was charmed. The more
diuµreeshin the more delight(i any duty ordered by so
high a fnuctinnary. I)) nt tie that lady and the tithe
Leer bee von h the red hat?" rd., air, tht y with the red
boots, the red petth:oat, the redisce, the " ire, yes, the
Zed ayenttung ; t)issM they sash outtalfgai
wat At Slaw ligginsey. ague Ds , dr,