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THE LATE MURDER AT STEIGLI \7.The following circumstances respecting the. treatment shown to the body of the late W. H. Vale, ar* reported in the letter of the local correspondent of the Gvlony AdccrlUer :II is seldom indeed that the unpleasant task ia allotted roe of giving to the world revelations of disgrace and horror such aa have been brought under my notice in the death of William Henry Vale. Publican ef Steiglitv, and the concomitant circumstrnces attending his decease and burial. V\hm the heaviest curses of the Almighty were launched against his hardened and depraved enemy King Ahnb, of old the grand climax of that curse was reached when through the mouth of his messenger the dread words were uttered lo the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dog* lick thy blood, oven thine.” Old Steiglitz, in the civilized colony of Victoria, and in the nineteenth century, the dogs perform their filthy task of old. Yes, it is even asserted that the entrails of the late unfortunate deceased, were ordered to be. and were thrown to the dogs. * * • * • * • • • I have myself, in company with the police, ascertained the fact, that all which stood after post mortem examination on the body of the deceased, in a tub which then was appropriated to the reception of the intestines was thrown on the gtound s few yards from the kitchen door of the hotel. The female who carried out the same herself informed the police of the fact, farther asserting that portion!, if not all of the intestines were then in the tub, and that she wsa obliged to hoid her aproo before her eyes aa a screen, while she performed her horrible task, Mr. Rastick, chemist, who «a* with Dr. Geogegan whilst the post mortem examination was bring made. aa»rrLa that the whole of the body of the Intestines were duly put back m the body and replaced properly. There is a wide discrepancy betwixt the two statement*, and there must be a mistake somewhere, and for the creditof the medical fraternity of Steiglitz, if not for the 6ake of humanity, the ttuth and tne whole truth ahould be ascertained and then published. There is one fact which cannot be disputed which came under mv own observation , and that i, that portions of the skull of the deceased were being left scattered on the tloor of the room, w here the post mortem examination was conducted. After the funeral there were, a handful! of them, and I saw the children play with pieces of the skull of their father.‘About thirty pieces are now in the hands of the police, and may be seen by thoee who love to gloat ovrr the horrible. Ilu only right that the public should know the facts of this matter, so that they may utter a protest against such proceedings, w hich are at once a district and an outrage to humanity.An invtatigation into the circumstances attending the deceased and burial of the above Williaiu Henry Vaie, of Sttigli'z, look place before J. M. Clow, Esq., on .Saturday nt the r.qucn of the jury, who sat with the Coroner on the inquent thereto relating, on Thursday last. There were present on the jury—Messrs Ultway, Harr, Love, Scott, Davis, Kayaer, Paul ton Retd Goulden and Sullivan. Reports having gone abroad that portions of the skuil and intestines of the deceased, were left uninterred, the jury called upon Mr. C-ow to mate inquiry there anent,John Ives, sergeant of police, was sworn, and deposed—Ou Thursday the 11th inst, 1 received Information that intestine* of the late William Henry Vale, deceased, had been thrown into the yard at the back of the hotel, and that they were afterwards consumed hy the dogs. Acting on this infoiiuation, 1 sent Constable Lynch to intitule inquiry. lie brought me back a portion of the skull, which I now produce, saying he had got iothe mom where the poet mortem cxtrnlnstion had taken pUcr. 1 wished to have other evidence and in compauy with Mr. Lawson, went into the room mentioned. In his presence I picked up portion* of the skull, as I though'. 1 now produce these pieces. On the same occasion, we saw some piece* of the skull in the hand of the eldest daughter of the ucceasrd, who might be aunutt 12 yearaof age. 1 also produce these piece*. This was oclotk in the evening. We bad a conversation with the servant, Mary Meagher, who stated that bHc had thrown out the i-ntruii* of the late William Henry Vale into the yard as referred to. Nothing el*e ocurred that evening. Next day about ll o'clock, I went with Constable Lynch into the same room. After stooping down and examining the clotted blood on the floor, near the back window, we found aoout 20 piece* of the skull mixed with it. On making inquiry why these were there and unintrrred, the eldest girl of the deceased »ailt;i, You must not blame me □or my mamrns, for it was the doctor that did it, sod 1 will fetch you the hammer. She then seul her brother Frank for the hammer now produced. Thu hammer was a common olaw hammer such a* is u*ed by carpenters. I asked her how she knew thst was the hammer, and she said because Dr. Geeghcgan had used it on the examination of the body.Mary Meagher, sworn, stated—I have been in the service of the late William Henry Vale until hii decease. I recollect when Dr. Groghegan and Mr. Rastick mode a port marten examination on the body. 1 was outside the door. On the name night about 8 or 9 o'clock, Mr#. Vale ordered myaelf and the Frenchman, who made the coffio, to take up the tub which was standing ia-aide the room door, and empty it in the yard. We did so I observed some lumps oi fat in the tub, and some red liquid j it w» very red. We turned the tub inside down in the yard, about six yards from the back door of the house, and left it there It was quite dark at the time. The smell was very offensive. Mrs. Vale held a randle at the bedroom door whiio we emptied the tub. The next dsy I saw the tub. and it was turned down ai.d the son of deceased was standing in it. By the jury : 1 covered my face because of the smell, When I went to Dr. Geoght-gan, by order of Mr*. Vale, to a*lt hitn if all that wss taken out of tbo body was replaced, he arid all ws* right. I then returned, and in company with the Frenchman, emptied the tub. it was the Frenchman who put the body in the coffin. By th- Sergeant of Police: 1 did say to you that the intestines, meaning what was in the tub, were thrown out by me, and that the dogs ate what was thrown out. I also stated to Mn. Bailey that I was sorry for what 1 had done, and that the dogs ate the contents of the tub.From the evidence adducrd, the majji'frates were of opinion that the jury had acted quits correctly in adopting this present line of proceeding, and ordered that the whole matter shoujd at once be brought under the notice of the coroner for the di*trictThe police were placed in possession of the portions of bone. C., found in the room and else-where, and referred to inthe evidence, numbering 45 pieces.Great praise Is due to Sergeant Iveas and the police for their efficient and faithful discharge of duty in this msnnrr. Ami it it better that the whole troth should be brought before the public, aa rumour with her thousand tongues, had already exaggerated the main farts of ths case. It is to be hoped that farther iaveagstions will aid still further to dispersing exaggeration*.
Newspaper Details
Castlemaine Mount Alexander Mail
Castlemaine, Victoria, AU
Fri, Mar 19, 1858
Page 3
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Anonymous
AU 21 May 2023
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