FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Manawatu Times, Volume VIII, Issue 305, 7 July 1883, Page 2

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Duuedia, This Day. Further particulars concerning " the murder and sui'cjde^show that Stepkenson had been threatening his wife with violence for* some'tiifcv saying tlt^gae or both of: them would die that nighfc. He had followed, her ; home and over.*' taking her on the foot-path, her grasped her by the breast;; -"He then fired off a dynamite cartridge, .^holding it m his right hand,: arid -pomtiner it at her head. She screamed out when "he caught hold of her, but no one' was close euough to render assistance., ..The effect of tha explosion was'to blow theig ha^da aimrjlfc entirely a way;; si « Kg h^T ijldcntly premedidated murder, and p&suragt} his own death als as he ranst haye been acquainted witnuhe properties of lynaraite. 'In' his pocket afterwards was foand a cartridge similar to tb,e oneitMscnhjec^ui'ed he did the deed with It had f .se inverted at one end and ried by a \\u>ce of 'hread to the fuse was araat h head outwards Up evidently struck the match and then w»ved the earfridgo m theajraifrer tbe fu>e caught to make it burn brrJCer. Th-.- was the b]ue '.light seeti \y' the Crils. Oa him a'so was foun& i* letter drawn out to the Minister of Justice asking that ihe aeparatiout of.lor obtained bjf big w -hould be set aside. ' He had bern 1 i Jj&ii from "time t£ tim- tor the last •2 or 1 J ytaM.^anjfllre enUy har been s ve-al times b foife/ the Po ice Cour£ for drunkeness l 'tf-inng yesterday be liad attempte Ito gee his hiUei ftway from his wife's coutrbl ! taktn onf) o£ them awjy Tom'^chool, but the ]|ttle one ran away -from him. It now traqspires; thut'S tepheh^m was not a banker at'Mosgie!; 4s vf is -tit fjrst §upi!osed, hqt many years ago wai^fllerk ip the «an]f of New, South Wales ; fa Cromwell, He aftewards becaras pri^rictor of a quarts niine m that" distriot ; out of which he made a codsiderable sum of money, afterwards, about JB7iB he went to Taranaki where he remained time His wife had before Inen l'cWiJim. - '.iii.'-V:" l : 3lll''A.L