The Star (Ballarat, Vic. : 1855 - 1864)(about) |
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Tuesday 29 December 1857
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2 corrections, most recently by LizWhelan - Show corrections
THE DOUBLE MURDER AT
DUNOLLY.
We have refrained during the last few issues from mentioning the further proceed- ings in progress towards discovering the authors of the double murder in the neigh- borhood of Dunolly, believing that such might have interfered with the ends of jus- tice. The penalty of our silence has been a constant besieging of our office, with en- quiries as to when we were going to have something written about the murders. We are now able to give a few particulars with- out running any risk of ill effects from their disclosure. It was thought advisable by the detectives concerned in the search to pro- cure, if possible a more certain identifica- tion of one or both of the bodies than that afforded by the morally conclusive circum- stantial evidence which had already trans- pired. It came to the ears of Dr Pierce, the coroner, that Dunlop had a pecu- liar mark upon the middle finger, caused by the cutting of one of the ten- dons some years ago. Dr Hunter, a medical man of Jones's Creek, a school-fellow of Dun- lop's, and who had known him for many years in the colony, felt certain that he could identify the body by the finger. He had frequently examined it, and indeed Dunlop had often wished him to take it off, as he suffered much inconvenience from it, the joint being stiff. The body was exhumed on the 15th instant, in the presence of the coroner. Dr Pierce, Inspector Furnell, and Drs Quinlan, Warren, and Hunter. Mrs Dunlop came over, wishing to be present, but Dr Pierce would not permit it, as she is not far from her confinement.
Her presence, besides, would have been entirely useless, as the features of the murdered man retained no trace of their original form. On removing the lid of the coffin, the odour emitted was frightful, and no one but a medical man could have recognised in the decomposed mass it contained, the remains of the "human form divine." Dr Hunter having mentioned the hand, the finger, and the mark which he expected to find on it, the medical men pre- sent made an examination, which entirely corroborated Dr Hunter's description, and afforded the most positive identification of the body. Subsequently the depositions of the several witnesses were formally taken at the Camp, together with the evidence of Mrs Dunlop as to the injury which affected her husband's finger. Dunlop thus being identi- fied, there can be no doubt of the other man being his mate M'Lean.-Maryborough Advertiser.