15["The Broome Murder", The West Australian, Tuesday 19 September 1905, page 5]

THE BROOME MURDER.

CONFESSION BY ONE OF ACCUSED.

STORY OF HORRIBLE BRUTALITY.

LIEBGLID BATTERED TO DEATH.

THREE MEN IMPLICATED.

Broome, September 18. Pablo Marques, who on Saturday made an unfinished statement regarding events that immediately preceeded the murder of Mark Liebglid, made a full confession of the whole affair before Fr. Russell, Mr. Warton, R.M., and, Sergeant Byrne to-day. The story told by Marques is one of horrible brutality, in which Marques, Simeon Espada, and Charles Hagen, who are all under arrest on suspicion are concerned. Marques states that on the night of the murder Liebglid accompanied him and Simeon Espada and Charles Hagen to the wreck of the schooner Mist, a short distance from the shore, Liebglid being assured that a valuable pearl wad hidden in the wreck. The four got into a dinghy belonging to the lugger Tauriko Toko and rowed to the Mist. There Espada produced a glass marble - the stopper of a lemonade bottle - wrapped in paper, and presented this to Liebglid as the "valuable pearl." Liebglid, on viewing the valueless piece of glass, said, "Why make a fool of me?" Thereupon Espada struck him on the head with a sling-shot, and as the Mist's deck was canted Liebglid fell overbobard into 8ft. of water. The unfortunate man was unable to swim, and in consequence he clutched the side of the dinghy and screamed, "Help! Police! They are murdering me. I am done." Espada plunged into the sea and endeavoured to drown Liebglid, and as the latter clung to the boat. Hagen and Marques battered his head to force him to release his hold. Hagen struck Liebglid in the face with his bare fist, which became smeared with blood, and to get rid of the blood he wiped his hand on his trousers. Hagen next endeavoured to drag the almost lifeless body into the dinghey, with a view to plunder, and to loosen Liebglid's hold on the boat. Espada smashed the victim's hands. Liebglid's cries had attracted persons with lanterns to the beach, only a few yards away. Upon one of these persons calling out "What's going on there? What's wrong?" the party on the boat became scared and dropped Liebglid's body into the sea. Marques concluded his confession by stating that he and his two companions then pulled in the dinghey through the mangroves to the foreshore below Carter's foundry. There they landed and made good their escape. It is stated that the police discovered on Hagen's trousers blood-stains, which appear to corroborate Marques's story concerning the action taken by Hagen to clean his hand after striking Liebglid in the face. The discovery of these stains first aroused suspicion against Hagen, Espoda, and Marques, and led to their arrest. An inquest in connection with the murder will be resumed on Wednesday next.