TRAGEDY IN HOBART.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 25 April 1891, Page 2

TRAGEDY IN HOBART.

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

A terrible tragedy haa beoa enacted at Bandy Bay, Tasmania. A widow named Annie Davidson, residing at tho Bay, was found last week lying dead in her bedroom wibh her throat cub, while a man named John Quamby was lying on her bed with his throat cub also, bub living. A doctor was called, who flaw thab tho woman had been dead several hours and that the head had been almost severed from tho body. Tho man's throab was also cut from ear to oar, but bho windpipe was not completely sevorod.

It appears thab on'tho previous afternoon, Mrs Roberts, (i noighbour, heard a knock at her door, and responding was Horrified at seeing Quamby standing on tho doorstep with his throat cut and his clothes covered with blood. Hβ said something she could nob understand and ehe then called her husband, who was asleep at tho time. Ho informed tho pol.ee, but no actual search of Davidson's house was made. Next morning on tho floor of tho bedroom was found, wrifiton in chalk in German, "I have killed you quite," and it is surmised thab jealousy was tho cause of the murder by Quamby and his subsequent attempt at suicide. Tho deed was dono with a small buckhorn pocketknife, and al.?o with a carvingknife. Quamby was of intemperate habitß and violent passions. Tho strange part of the affair is that several peoplo rosiciing in tho neighbourhood say they saw Quamby on Sunday evening with hie throat cut, and others heard groans in the house, but no investigation was made until Monday morniny.

Roberts, who first, informed tho police on Sunday afternoon, ways thab ho 6UW_ v policoman standing near tho gtite of Davidson's liouso, and a hand thrust out from tho door beckoning , the policeman. The surmise is that Quamby, slightly wounded at first, subsequently made a EOCOnd attempt co commit suicide. Ho is now in the hospital scarcely alive. The victim of the tragedy was the mother of Mr Davidson, secretary to tha Cascade Brewery, for whom much sympathy is folt. Tho inquest stands adjourned till Monday.