TERRIBLE ENGLISH TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

TERRIBLE ENGLISH TRAGEDY.

THREE GENERATIONS MURDERED.

A terrible triple tragedy occurred on Sunday morning, August 2_tb, at Lower Baddesley, a mining village five miles from Tamworth, the victims being Eliza Ch.twynd, widow, 62; her daughter Eliza, 21; and the la titer's baby, a boy aged 11 days. The alleged murderer is named George Place, 30, a miner, of Mansfield, near Nottingham, tie lodged with Mrs Chetwynd, and wias engaged to be married to the younger woman, who -last week instituted affiliation proceedings against him. When 'the summons was served on Place he threatened _hat\-a_l they should get out of him would be a bullet, while on Saturday he showed a revolver to two men, and threatened to shoot -the woman and child. Place descended from his bedroom just before six o'clock on Sunday morning, entered the bedroom where the two women and baby were asleep, the infant in its mother's arms, and deliberately shot all of them through the head. The gra_idmot_ier and child died immediately, but the younger woman lived for four hours. Place threatened a son of Mrs Cbetwynd, but was sc.ize<l by another son and a man named Shi.ton, who took a six-chambered revolver and cartridges from ham. Shilton followed Place along the road, and handed him over to the police at Atherstone, three miles distant Place remarked .hart if Shilton had not followed him he would have been comfortably at the bottom of the canal. The prisoner had the reputation of being a steady and respectable man, and was secretary of _he local lodge of Druids. Banns of marriage between him and the younger woman were announced at Easter, but the wedding was postponed owing to the deajth of Mrs Cbetwynd's husband. Mrs Chetwynd opposed the marriage because the daughter was troubled with constitutional Illness.

At the inquest Joseph Henry Ohetwynd, son of the elder woman, said he saw Place leave the parlour with a revolver in his hand. Place remarked: "They are all done; it's all over." Place then left th" house. Samuel Shilton, who overtook Place on the way to Atherstone, said that Place remarked to him that he (Place) "could have done the other two," but only intended to shoot three. Other evidence showed that Pla.ce had confided to two Wilmcote miners, named John Radford and John Colloby, his intention to kill the three persons now dead, and said he wanted to be home by two o'clock and give himself up at six o'clock. Then he would be done.