Planned Wholesale Killing

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 270, 13 November 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

Planned Wholesale Killing

BEHIND a shooting drama which caused a sensation among the racing

fraternity in the North of England, lies the story of a husband's unfounded jealousy and his alleged planning of wholesale murder.

The man, known as "Lightning" on the racecourses, ended his life with a bullet through the back of his mouth after he had shot dead his wife and wounded a bookmaker friend called "Big Bluey."

The tragedy orphaned four children, whose ages range from 13 to 4, and they are being cared for by a public assistance committee.

With tears running down his cheeks, the eldest of the orphaned children told the Leeds coroner what he knew of the tragic events.

The dead couple were Henry William Hurlstone, 58. an Australian ex-barber, and Annie Florence Hurlstone, 33, his wife, who has relatives at Luton.

They had lived for a considerable time in Coburg Street, Leeds, a part of the city much frequented by theatricals and racing men.

The man who nearly shared the couple's fate was Michael Joseph McCann, 44, lodging at St. George's Terrace, Camp Road, Leeds, about 100 yards from the home of the Hurlstones.

Hurlstone, who had a criminal record both in England and Australia, dating back to 1916, was released from gaol five weeks before the tragedy, after serving a sentence of six months' imprisonment for picking pockets at a football match at Wakefield.

He returned home to his wife and children a disgruntled man. He formed baseless suspicions concerning his wife, and these suspicions apparently preyed on his mind.

It was at 7.30 on the morning of the shooting that he awoke his son Leslie *ind told him he was going out.

"Then dad brought me a bottle of milk and some sandwiches," the boy said in his evidence at the inquest, "and this meant breakfast for myself and my three brothers—Billie, 10; Ronnie, 7; and Denis, 4. He afterwards locked us in our room."

Having explained that he heard nothing of his mother that morning, the boy went on to say that about two hours after his father had locked him and his brothers in their bedroom he heard him return to the house.

"I asked him to let us out," Leslie went on, and father replied, 'Soon.'

"After a time he let me out, locked the door again, brought me my best suit, and told me to dress.

"After I had done this he gave me 2d and told me to go by tram to the police station and fetch two policemen. I was to tell them that mother was very ill. When I got back with the policemen I found the doors, both front and back, locked.

"Then we knocked on the front window and father put his head out of the bedroom window and said, 'It's all right. I have killed her. I have shot her through the head.'"

Overcome by emotion, the tragic orphan boy had to be comforted before he could proceed.

Briefly he related how the police officers battered in the door and rushed upstairs. Before they were more than half-way up the report- of a gun rang out. .

Leslie aded that there had been frequent quarrels between his father and mother.

Recently his father had seemed very irritable, and his mother had remarked that she thought him insane.

According to the police Hurlstone was found lying dead in a front bedroom at his home with a revolver in each hand.

In an adjoining bedroom were the three children. They were in a state of terror, but uninjured.

Discovered Shot Through The Head

At the foot of the cellar-kitchen stairs Mrs. Hurlstone was discovered in a pool of blood. She had been shot through the head, and the body covered with a blanket.

The jury returned verdicts of murder and suicide while temporarily insane against Hurlstone.

It was after the inquest that Mr. McCann, who was not called as a witness, threw light on Hurlstone's murderous intentions.

It appears that Hurlstone called on Mr. McCann after locking his children in the bedroom.

They sat chatting across a sitting room table, in the centre of which was a cage containing a parrot.

"Just as I was bending down to throw my cigarette end into the fire I glanced up and saw a revolver." Mr. McCann declared. 'T ducked, and the bullet just clipped my ear instead of passing through my head. I was dazed for the moment, and when I recovered Hurlstone had disappeared."

Mr. McCann went on to say that Hurlstone, whom he had known for many years, was insanely jealous, of his pretty wife, and had, without reason, accused racecourse friends of paying her attention while lie was in jraol.

"I have discovered that was only one of several fellows Hurlstone had decided to wipe out," Mr. McCann continued.

"I think he intended to make a clean sweep of us before he shot himself. It appears that he had been looking round the city for other* he intended doing in, but was unluckv.''

It further transpired that one man threatened by Hurlstone escaped with his life because he was away at the races when Hurlstone paid him a surprise call. There were amazing scenes at the funeral of Mrs. Hurlstone.

When the cortege reached Brunswick Methodist Church, where a service was held, the officiating minister. Kev. H. W. K. Sandy, had to rebuke the crowd, most of them women.

After tlie service police had to clear a way for the coffin-bearers, while thousands lined the route to Woodhouse Cemetery, where the burial took place.

The funeral expenses were raised by house-to-house subscriptions, and by donations from three Australian friends of the dead woman.