TRAGEDY IN MELBOURNE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 151, 26 June 1894, Page 8

TRAGEDY IN MELBOURNE.

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED

SUICIDE.

A desperate murder and attempt ab suicide was mads in the Southern Cross Hotel, Bourke • streeD, Melbourne, last i Tuesday night. A man named John Fraser, son of the late Mr W. Fraser, grazier, of Sbepparton, accompanied by a widow named Cecile Anderson, went into the Southern Cross Hotel, and occupied a private room, where they sat drinking moderately. A couple of hours later Bhots were heard from this room. The inmates of the hotel rushed thither, and found Fraser dead, wfth a bullet) wound in his head, and a revolver lying at his feet, and the woman Anderson apparently dying from a bullet wound behind her ear. Inquiries made by the police show that Fraser was entitled to some money under his father's1 will. He appears to have become cast down because, of a vordict recently eiven against him in the Sydney Courts for £370 money lent, and £50 interest. The plaintiff in this case was Mrs Anderson. It is assumed thab this lawsuit was beine discussed, when the tragedy was committed. Mrs Anderson ia atilT alive, bub in a precarious condition, f When the landlady of the Southern Cross Hotel rushed into the back parlour of the hotel and discovered the dead body of John Fraser and the apparently lifeless body of Mrs Anderson, the indications favoured the assnmption thab Fraser had firab of all shot ab the woman, and then turned the revolver upon himself. Later information received by the detective department discredited this theory. Superintendent Brown recollected an interview Fraeer had with him some months ago which convinced him as he recalled its nature that! the probabilities of the case were in favour of the conclusion thab Mrs Anderson had shot Fraaer and then attempted to kill herself. About three months ago Fraser, who had just married the widow of the late Alfred Leahy, formerly a Government contracb surveyor in the Shepparton district, called on Superintendent Brown and stated thab he had for some years resided in a boarding-house in Sydney kept by a Mrs Anderson, and coming to Victoria, he had been pestered by her with letters enclosing accounts for a large sum of money which she claimed were due to her by him. When his approaching marriage was announced the woman had become more venturesome, and had threatened him with all sorbs of punishment if he did nob pay her the sums claimed, Finally she had taken action against him in thelaw courts for the recovery of the money. Subsequently she had come to Victoria, and worried him with requests for meetinge, in which she vplainly showed that her desire was that he should leave his wife and elope with her. When ho refused to listen to her, or to appoint a meeting with her, she threatened to shoob him and had shown him a revolver, which, she eaid, was to settle him and, if necessary, his wife too. Superintendent Brown advised Fraeer nob to meeb Mrs Anderson, bub to go awßy and not lot Mrs Anderson know his whereabouts until her temper and passion had cooled down. Mrs Audorbou again pressed for money. She was determined—he must be forced to pay in some way or other. Subsequently the two met in order to arrange matters.

After calling in ab an hotel in Lifctlo Collins-street in the evening, where they had drinks, they went to the Southern Cross Hotel, and three remained until the traeedy. Other evidence obtained by the police shows thab Mrs Anderson carried a revolver abouti with her. and threatened to ueo ib, and that there is eveiry reason to suppose thab in a fib of mad jealousy and revenge she shob Fraser, and then pub the weapon to her own head. She is still living, but is in a precarious condition. Both of the victims of the tragedy were well known in Sydney. For five or six*years Mrs Cecilia Anderson was a popular boarding-housekeeper, and during the latter half of that period she rented Durham House, No. 207 Albion-sbreeb, Surrey Hills. Fraser had been sbaying with her for some yeare. in fact he was her oldest boarder, and in him she reposed much trust.