The Cemetery
In the little cemetery, which is near the small town of Fortrose, is one of the strangest gravestones I've ever seen. Reading it would lead you to think that there are two people under it - Louisa Richardson and James Welsh. But there's only one. And three grooves where words have been chiseled out.
Twenty year old Louisa Richardson came to New Zealand from Ireland in November, 1877, and found a job on a farm on the Taieri Plain. There she met James Welsh, whom she married. They lived and worked at Waikawa Station in the Catlins - he as a ploughman, she as a cook. They were married for all of two months when disaster struck.
The Murder
Peter Anderson, a carpenter at the station, was returning to the station at dusk on September 15 when he noticed something strange about the house where the Welshes lived. He entered and found Louisa, on the floor, legs bare, quite dead from a long wound to her throat. It was too dark to see whether there was any blood. James was nowhere to be seen and a note was on the table - "Touch nothing till the trooper comes." This had been left by the nearest neighbour in the early affternoon, the first to find Louisa.
Later, in court, Anderson related an incident from earlier that day. A shepherd, leaving the station, gave Louisa a ride on his horse. Only a short one, before her husband removed her from the horse.
The alarm went out over the murder. A description was issued of the suspect:
"Description - Irish, thirty-three years, 5ft 4in high, dark brown hair, light whiskers inclining to red and full on cheeks, small moustache same color, small face and forehead, shaves temples, teeth very dark, brown eyes with wild expression, while walking leans forward and swings from side to side with legs wide apart; dark tartan Mosgiel dress, check about half an inch wide, nearly new. Had a meerschaum pipe, eagle claws round bowl, centre one broken."
A doctor came to inspect Louisa's body before it was shifted and police began searching the area near the station for James Welsh. He was found two days after the murder and a bloodstained pocket knife taken from him. On being arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Welsh merely replied "Yes." Whether he was admitting to the murder or acknowledging the charge, Inspector Fox the arresting officer could not be sure.
Welsh also said something on being arrested which might have indicated a motive for murder. On having his pockets searched he stated: "I have got no money; she took all my money and then turned around upon me; she spent it on one thing or another, and I don't know where it has gone to."
The coronial inquest on the body of Louisa was convened the following Friday:
"A foreman (Mr 0. Brandon) having been appointed, the body was next viewed. It was enclosed in a strong wooden shell wrapped up in sheets, and presented a most ghastly appearance. Notwithstanding the time |that it had been kept it was still far from showing many external signs of decomposition. On the large wound in the throat being exposed so deeply was the windpipe severed that there was every appearance of her being stuck like a pig in addition to the mere severing of veins and artery. The utmost ferocity must have been shown in the desperate struggle, and the cuts on the woman's hands show how hard she must have fought for dear life. So youthful did she look, that she could hardly be more than twenty, and when alive one could understand how she was generally liked by all she came in contact with."
Anderson, the carpenter engaged to build a house on Waikawa Station for the landowner, was able to describe James Welsh's personality and offer an insight into his relationship with his wife:
"I had some conversation with him in the bush about the 10th of the month, when cross-cutting. He was the most peculiar man I ever saw, and I could never get him to talk much. Welsh and his wife were working in their garden, and she said to me in passing, she felt so awfully melancholy she did not know what to do with herself. She was often crying, and said she had great cause for sorrow, and nobody knew it. She said one day she would like to stop at McRae's, and if her husband did not work there she would never go with him elsewhere. I saw no quarrels between them. She had no faults as far as I saw. She was cheerful beyond what I have said, except when she turned melancholy and started to cry. This she did often. The prisoner's demeanour I can hardly describe, it is very peculiar. If you start to speak to him he will say nothing."
The inquest witnesses' description of defensive wounds suffered by Louisa, as well as the fatal one, ruled out any suggestion of suicide. Bloodstains in the couple's house and on Welsh's clothing were also described. The evidence was conclusive.
"...the Jury returned a verdict of "Willful Murder" against the prisoner. On Saturday the prisoner was conveyed on horseback from Fortrose to Wyndham, thence by coach to Edendale, and then on to Invercargill by rail. During the inquest he preserved throughout the inquiry the most stolid and cool demeanour, only waking up, as it were, whilst Inspector Fox gave his evidence. Even when the lamp was held close to his face, for the purpose of comparing the hair discovered with that of his beard, he never once blinked or changed colour. As soon as he was captured, a burden seemed to be lifted off his mind, and he now eats well, and converses quite freely on any subject but the murder."
The Trial
James Welsh made a plea of "not guilty" when he came to trial. He claimed that he had quarreled with his wife on the morning of the fatal day, had gone out of the house and found her body on his return. None of his explanation accounted for the blood on his clothes when he was arrested, nor the bloodstained pocket knife he was carrying. His defence counsel made the best of a lack of perceived motive for murder and, as was common in capital cases, reminded the jury of the awful consequences of convicting an innocent man. The jury, on retiring, took 35 minutes to decide their unanimous verdict of guilty.
The verdict being returned, the judge then asked James Welsh to speak.
"When asked what he had to say why the Court should not pass sentence of death upon him, he replied with considerable hesitancy that it was the first time he had ever been in a Court in his life, either for that or anything else. His Honor having assumed the black cap proceeded to pass sentence in a low impressive tone of voice. He said—“ Prisoner at the bar, after a long, patient trial, during which you have been ably defended, you have been convicted of a brutal murder by a jury of your countrymen. I have no doubt whatever in my own mind as to the correctness of the verdict, or the justness of the conclusion to which the jury have come. I can only say that I hope that during the short time that you will still have to remain in this world you will turn your mind to repenting of the crime which you have committed. All I have to do now is to pass the sentence of death upon you. The judgement of the law is that you, James Welsh, be taken from the place where you now are to the prison whence you came, and thence to the place of execution, and there, by the manner and form by law appointed, to be hung by the neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul.” After a short and impressive pause His Honor ordered the prisoner to be removed, and having alluded to the manner in which the jury had discharged the painful duty imposed on them dismissed them. The Court then adjourned."
The perceived lack of motive on the part of Welsh made a few people who followed believe that he did not deserve to die and that a verdict of insanity should have been reached. A petition on Welsh's behalf was made to the Governor General but it was declined after a group of medical experts examined Welsh and found him "in full possession of his senses." On being told that there was no chance of a reprieve, the reserved Welsh became more so.
On the appointed day, February 19th, 1879, James Welsh spent time with Father Higgins, the appointed Catholic Priest. At the appointed hour of 7am the appointed officials (including the arresting officer, Inspector Fox) gathered for the execution. At 7.30 the hangman entered Welsh's cell and bound his arms. He was marched to the gallows, Father Higgins walking and praying beside him. Prayers continued as his legs were restrained and the noose adjusted. And prayers continued as the trapdoor bolt was withdrawn and James Welsh dropped seven feet to his fate. The hangman added his weight to that of James on the rope, to make sure the job was done. The usual coroner's jury was convened and the usual verdict was added to James Welsh's death certificate.
Louisa was buried in the little cemetery at Fortrose and a number of concerned locals paid for a gravestone.
SACRED
to the memory of
LOUISA RICHARDSON
murdered by her husband
JAMES WELSH
at Wakiawa Stn on Sunday
15th September 1878
Aged 20 years
Requiesat in Pace amen
Erected by public subscription
The above picture of the stone appeared in an illustrated magazine some years later as something of an historic novelty. Tourists visiting the area made a point of seeing the odd and macabre inscription. Eventually the local Catholic priest grew tired of what he regarded as impropriety and had the relevant words chiseled out.
Why?
But why did James kill Louisa? He said nothing about the murder or his motives except to mention money. Did she spend all of his money? Savings against the future, savings to buy land and therefore independence were of vital importance back then. Evidence from witnesses would indicate another motive - jealousy. The physical descriptions of the couple indicate a short man, possibly odd-looking and also possibly aware of the attractiveness of his much younger wife. Perhaps James saw admiring looks and perceived those looks returned. Of course, we will never know.
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