THE DEEP STREAM TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 258, 2 November 1887, Page 5

THE DEEP STREAM TRAGEDY.

"DRINK DID IT."

(BY TELEGKAHT— I'BESS ASSOCIATION.)

Ddnedin, Tuesday. From further particulars of the disaster at Deep Stream it appears that Sutton and his wife had been drinking on the preced. ing Sunday evening ab a sly grog shop kept by W. Rutherford. They returned to their hut late in the evening, somewhat the worse for liquor, taking some whisky with them. Later in the night the tM'O men, Elliott and Ure, came along. They also had been drinking, and the probability is that when they got into Sutton's hut "they had more drink. About four o'clock next morning the hut was discovered to be on h're. Ab this hour the hub was on lire from end to end, and the roof had fallen in. The bodies were found in the ruins soon afterwards, and from the positions in which they lay it would seem that Mrs Sutton and Ure had succumbed without having made any attempt to escape. Sutton and Elliott seem to have made some attempt to get out. Their bodies were discovered lying together almost on the door-step. Constable O'Brien had the bodies taken to Outram. They are all fearfully burnt, and present a horrible spectacle, bub as there are no marks of violence on them ib seems certain that death must have been caused accidentally by the fire. Sutton was a labourer, and about 42 years of age. His wife was some years his junior. They were married in Dunedin about 18 months ago, bub had no children. Elliott and Ure were both middle-aged men. The former was a stonemason, and his wife and family are in Auckland. Ure was a labourer, and unmarried. At the inquest a verdict of " Accidentally burned to death " was returned.