The Murder of Mary Legge
150 Hindley Street
“Lord save me” were the dying words of Mary Legge, laying on
the floor of Gasons Lodging House, Hindley Street. Above her, as she breathed
her last breath, stood her husband, enraged, with a knife in hand. He threw his
knife at her as he calmly walked out the door, the only witness, a man named
Roskilley who had fought against Legge, but had backed away when threatened
with the knife.
Legge hastily left
the premises and headed down Hindley street. Roskilley also left, and found
P.C. Irwin on the corner of Hindley and King William Street, and told him of
the murder. Legge, upon realising he had been identified, sprinted away from
the Constable, the two men running full pace west along Hindley Street.
Another Constable,
P.C. Allen, saw what was going on, and tackled Legge to the ground. Legge then
stated to the two officers that he had stabbed his wife three times. The two
Constables then escorted Legge back to the Police Station, and left him with
the officer in charge, before heading back to Gason’s to evaluate the scene.
Mary Legge was lying in a pool of her blood, she had three
stab wounds in her left shoulder blade, made by an ordinary bread and butter
knife. One stab had punctured her left lung and another had pierced her heart,
causing her to bleed out and die very quickly.
William Legge, was well known to Adelaide police as a
habitual drunkard, but he hadn’t always been a heavy drinker. Only months prior
he had run a successful painting business from Clarendon, and every mail from
England (monthly) He received a hefty 16 pounds’ remittance from his wealthy
parents.
Legge and his wife,
Mary, a “pleasant-looking young woman”, who had only been in South Australia
for nine months, had been renting a room in Gason’s Lodging House. In the few
months, they had been living in Adelaide, they had both become drunkards and
were prone to physical altercations with each other. Mary was often heard
swearing at William, and only a week previously had hit him in the head with a
bottle, leaving a deep cut.
When the trial proceeded, the defence applied the “Temporary
insanity” clause, and pointed out the constant beratement of William by Mary.
It was pointed out that both were very drunk, and that William had quite calmly
asked Mary to go to bed, and she had flatly refused then started abusing him.
William had then stated, “If you don’t go to bed I will put an end to you”,
Mary, again refused, and this was when William became so enraged (and according
to the defence, temporarily insane) that he stabbed his wife to death.
William Legge’s charges were downgraded from murder to
manslaughter, due to the temporary insanity defence, and instead of facing
being hung for the wilful murder of his wife, he was sentenced to just ten
years’ imprisonment.
Researched and written by Allen Tiller.
© 2018 Allen Tiller
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Bibliography
1870 'LAW COURTS.', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 18 May, p. 2.
(SECOND EDITION.), viewed 02 Jan 2018,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article207720976
1870 'SHOCKING MURDER IN
ADELAIDE.', Northern Argus (Clare, SA : 1869 - 1954), 25 March, p. 3. , viewed 02 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92777632
1920 'FIFTY YEARS AGO.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 22 March, p. 6. , viewed 02 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62618178
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