A STRANGE TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXiX, Issue 7727, 22 February 1909, Page 4

A STRANGE TRAGEDY.

Mrs Florence Burgess, wife of Mr George Arthur Burgess, Labour representative in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, e'hot herself with a revolver in the grounds of St Joseph's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Annandale (Sydney), on the afternoon of January 21, and is now at the Royal Prince Hospital, where but little hope is enertained for her recovery. Mrs Burgess visited the convent early in the morning, and asked the amount of a school account due to the Sisters for her tbroo little girls, who had formerly been pupils at the convent. The nuns noticed that her manner was strange and her hair dishevelled. When informed that her debt amounted to 10s, she said that she would return on the following day and settle the count.Before leaving she asked the rev mother to allow her to visit the church, which is situated «. couple of doors away, in Collins Street. The rev mother informed her that the church was locked, but took her to the convent chapel, where they both knelt for a few minutes in prayer. Mrs Burgess then asked to be conducted to the lavatory, stating that she would then bo able to find her own way off the premises. The sister noticed "that she had a small brown-paper parcel in her hand, and scorned to be pretty excited. She therefore accompanied her to the lavatory, and later let her out through the front door of the convent. The nuns then went to lunch, and ill a few minutes heard a revolver shot close to the house, followed almost immediately by a second report. The Sisters found Mrs Burgess lying with her feet on the steps leading to the verandah, and her head on the gravel path. She was apparently unconscous, and bleeding profusely from wounds in the left broast and forehead