DOUBLE LOVE TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 22 November 1913, Page 17

DOUBLE LOVE TRAGEDY.

MAJOR AND NURSE FOUNT) DEAD ON RAILWAY LINT!. A DETERMINED SUICIDE. The finding of bloodstains on the engine of the midnight train arriving at leachurch Street. London, from Southeud, early on Saturday morning. October 4th, led to the discovery ~:- ;l terrible love alTatr. Search parUt?s having been sent out, the shockingly mutilated bodies of a man and a woman were found on the line near Southchurch railway bridge, about a mile from .•South.-.id station. The bodies lay close i t-'-i with a handkerchief to the woman's j left. It was obvious that both had been killed instantly. A card found on the man's body bore the came "Major C. Hamilton Murdoch, re- [ tired list, A.s.i," ai.d on the woman's j clothing; was the name "1". Koaks." Investigation showed that these were the j names of the dead pe.-ple, and that the jTiri had been employed as probationer at a nursing home at Claphain Common. About two months ago Major ar.d Mrs Hamilton Murdoch became inmates of this home, the former sufTi-rliia from an afTe.-tion of the liver, while Mrs Murdoch was afflicted with paralysis. Major Murdoch apparently be-1 came fascinated with Miss IViaks, and a strong friendship developed, and oa August -:>rd Miss Boats was given notice to leave, Kolr_g on i'..e following morning. On the following Thursday the major also left, but came Lack about ten days later, very ill indeed. He stayed only it few days, however, and then left again. I It appears li.at when Miss I", oaks left the I home in August last she went into lodgings in London. Some time after her dismissal her parents wrote to the home asking of i the whereabouts of their daughter, but the ! matron know nothing, and she was not then I I aware that Miss i.oaks had not gone back j Jto her parents. At this tlm«. however, the | J major Lad disappeared, and It 1? probable ! that both he and the young woman were ! staying In lodgings in Brlxton Road, one | oi the addresses found on the deceased. Correspondence between husband and wife was carried on since he left the home on September stb. Then letters began to be received in a woman's handwriting, the major opening the communication with j some such greeting as "My wife," and j signing them •■Yours, C 11.M." In these i I notes Mrs Murdoch was toM that her has- j bar.l :.!■■! got tired of her. and did not intern] to return. Mrs Murdoch replied in a l?'ter asking I her husband who his secretary was. and ! for an explanation cf his extraordinary | letters In reply a letter can!?, which was j the last Mrs Murdoch received. It came ( about a fortnight ago. In it occurred the following passage:— "If yuu want to know who his secretary Is. I can inform yon that she Is one who loves him dearly, and who <*:m treat him better than you could ever do. He does not wish to return to you as you can do nothing to him now." j 1 This was merely signed "From o:ie who I 1 loves him." | The news of her husband's float!) was ! conveyed to Mrs Mt:rJoe :i about eleven o'clock on Saturday n-ornlng, Although I suffering from paralysis the widow bore the j: shock very we.; until later in the day, when ; she became 111 ami had to be removed to bed. In an interview on Sunday Mrs Mur- ! ■ • loch told the story of the major's career. Mc joined the Norfolk R-glmem about forty i years ago us a private, and his marked 1 labilities gained him speedy promotion, lie i j saw servl.-e in the first P.inth African War. I the Gulf campaign, and nt Tel el K.-bir. i and two years ago submitted a scheme, to ' the War Office for the reorganisation of '■ Territorial recruiting. |