A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 5, 6 January 1910, Page 6

A SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

FOT'R CHILDREN SHOT. DEMENTED MOTHER'S ACT. MHI.BOURNE. Dec. 30. A tearful tragedy was enacted at Co* gv\t- this mornine. Mrs. Lena. Clugston. ■a.r- oi Mr. John tmgston. farm labr.urer. -hot her ic.ir rh-iUren with a jx>arifV. and th. n attempted to take her own lifp in the .-ame manner. In the o.i— o: two o: the children the wounds ■Rpre f.iral. 11l- lamily live alongside a water reSPrve known a> A-oi t ink. This 'jQiimR'>i j < liiir-tcn, agpd pight year*. l in ■. • T to < i'EriP!i'=. a nf iihbour's pla.'e, n! our a qiuirtfr nf a mile distant from h.-r hiinip. and <-;iid that hf: nift'ior h.'.d .-_, v. iior>i>if. T.i- fi"Hrien"s thought the I.:"'.- _:rl In.ixci il'.. and i-.i pxaminbig ;.,, r p ,-p , ; r .-,--iv. i;,-y m»- hlnnd run",i;p_- ,!■ u:i !i-r !<_■-. .\!;irnif>J at the [•■•■. :i:;i r\o<{ t.> (" ]nj-t jilaci- to investl- <;.■:. ■'..■ .-..ii—. an-1 ..■■,-,. h.irririea to find r.i i.f liir ■•.liiilii'ii •l".ul in bed. and liie n,. ■ ,-r iM-l ,m..tii..r -■no;i-ly wounded. i:• ■ ■■'. ;.i.- ' i'l'i I-!!- imintfliatflv set out f•-.,- I«'•■!<:•■. in itiiorii! tiim police, but on pi....r-v,:,-.i ;. (' I■ i-_:-t■ ni".— hou.*e. After n " ; a-"v e\a ninati'in Constable Murphy we si i ". ' i o-urrne telephone station, ami f.rr.rr:. ■-! I>' K-Mly irnru Dorki?. T.ie ]at"--r. n ,i:riv:it. examined the children, a-.: : ;••'. t.i-: > f -1: Li »=*■. aged seven, and V ..:--.. ;,_~ I thri-v were quite dead. Wil- ]■> •■ h' .i rpiite two years nld. wa« <iir.-.T..i-'v wounded. . ,ii!dr>'n had apparently been ?hnt in \h--:: }'••'-.-. a\v\ it is thought the nifiiher re-ted the weapon on bod;i t before dL-charaiiiji it. a> there were tvi.v. .f powder about their r!n:he>. T'le Idi:r , "lildren were all -hot jusr l-eneati tif heart. Tlie dn.tor was unable to >*y whether the bullets had reraain-i'il in tne be .if trie r-hil Iren. An examination ni the racther showed t'na- -h-' had rhnt herself in the stomach and tnat the bullet had paf-?1 through hf r b.i. k. >he \\a.- quit" conscious, and apparently in a rati 'nal mind. Being asked Trhv =:%- ?hot her rhildren. she only ex-r!a;.r.-K "They caused it." Apparently ii. aw-ul tragedy v\a? premeditated, tor she lefi a letter addressed to her husband pinned in a conspicuous plac-e in fp rr . i the fireplace. The letter w:i?. -il-cen by Constable Murphy, and lat?r ■eras handed tr the husband, but its eon.ten"- hive not yet been disclosed. Geurae Tackson. farmer, or Cosgrove. «as ewav :it work, and on informed ot the dreadful trapedv hurried to hi- house. Hush.md and wife lived on very goofl term.-. It i- believed that the mother ?'n ■ the children as soon as she got up in the morning. Th" lit tin jrirl who >v?n* in i : "Brien's was only partly clad, and did t)o' appear to have been undressed. The mother and the r.vn surviving children were taken to the Mooropna Hospital, where one of the children has since tii-'I.