TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT CAPETOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 83, 7 April 1900, Page 13 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT CAPETOWN.

A terrible tragedy occurred on the Cape Flats, Capetown, on Tuesday, February 20. A cottage occupied by a small farmer, named Tummes, and his wife only was broken into, himself murdered, and his wife outraged, escaping only with her life.

She managed to escape out of a window . r.d to raise an alarm, but by the time help was forthcoming' the cottage was in flames. Mr Tummes', charred remains were with difficulty rescued.

At the inquest on the body of the man the story was told in detail by Katrina Kohne, wife of the deceased man, who bore unmistakable signs of the savage attack made on her. She stated that on Tuesday evening she and her husband retired to bed about 9 o'clock. Her husband was a healthy man of G7 years of age. About 10 o'clock a man came to the window and said he had a message from Mrs Sanderson to witness. Her husband ordered him to go off, and after some bother he did so. Some time after witness and her husband were again aroused, and witness immediately received a blow on the face. She tried to wake her husband, and told him that there were thieves 6r murderers in the house. Her husband said, "I will fetch a knife." but he never got up. Witness, proceeding, said she knew the man who was in the,room as Willem, and he was employed by a farmer named Sanderson close by. Witness told the mf'in to leave, and lie replied he would do eso when he killed her husband. The man then tore off witness' night-dress, an/3 he then took what witness thought was an iron bar, and killed her husband by a blow on the head and another across; the chest. It was a moonlight night, and the window curtain was drawn, so that witness could see the man at the side of the bed. After killing her husband the man pulled the blankets off the bed .'And assaulted her. Witness struggled, and received several blows on the ffice, and was also grasped, by the throat and held down. Witness became unconr/cious, and did not recollect anything til), she heard the man breaking up the box In the room. She saw him take money from the box and go into the next roor/i and count it. He rummaged the wardro'oe, and then returned to the bedroom, 'but witness lay down and pretended shf was dead. Her husband by this time wus lying alongside the bed on the floor, hfe having evidently slipped down there wh';n witness was unconscious. Witness gaw prisoner leave the bedroom again, b;ut she did not hear or see him after th/it. Witness jumped through the. wihdov/ and escaped. She was quite positive tKat there was nothing burning- in the ho/.ise then, except the lamp, which hiid been lit by the man. Witness, after getfing out at the window, managed to get; over to Mr Ellman's farm and told hl/n what had taken place.

At the Wynberg Police Court the same day, Willem, alias Williajn Arendse, alias William Englebrecht, a Cape boy, was brought up for preliminary examination, accused of the Crime.

Katriha Magdalene Kohne, wife of the deceased man, stated quite emphatically that sh;e knew accused, and her evidence was similar to that giveh at the inquest.

Several other witnesses were examined, and the case Was remanded.