Horrible Murder in Tauranga.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XX, 10 February 1892, Page 2

Horrible Murder in Tauranga.

DUNCAN MUrTRO* KILLS HIS FAMILY.

On Tuesday morning the people of Tauranga were thrown into a great state of excitement by the news becoming noised about that Duncan Munro had attempted to murder hia wife and children, this beinjr the first case of murder by a European within the annals of Tauranga. Dancan Munro, who acknowledges to having done the terrible deed, is well-known here, and has been suffering from epileptic fits for many years, but when they first occurred they were of very short duration and had no effect on his mental faculties. As time went on these fits became more frequent and of a worse character, and the after elf ects took the form of religious mania. A. little over seven years ag.>, when the fits were pretty bad he became engaged to be married to a young lady named Miss Freeman, who was advised to wait for some 12 months to see if Munro would get better instead of worse, but she evidently thought light of the attacks for they were married shortly after becomiug engaged. Eleven months after marriage a son was born to them who was named George, and about a year following another son, who was christened John, was brought iato this vale of tears. Up till about three and a half years ago Duncan Munro continued to serve in Mr Bodell's shop, but was always considered subject to the attacks of religious mania. Nearly three years ago in the mon'h of July a charge was laid against Munro as being a dangerous lunatic by a nurse who was attending Mrs Munro in her third confinement, another son having been born, Wj)o wasnainecl Alexander. Th© nur 8e said he smashed the clock, which he said offended him, and wanted to break a kerosene lamp over the new born infants head ; to annoint it with oil, he said. Munro was examined byDr Moir, who was then the only d»ctor in Tauranga. and on his certificate of insanity sent to Auckland by the police, and was there examined by two more doctors, who certified to his being insane, and he was coufined in the Wbau Lunatic Asylu.n. dtories became frequent iv Tauranga That Duncan Muuro was quite sane, and his mother, Mrs Bodell, got him out of the Asylum after he had been there about six months. He now seemed all right-, and was jriven odd jobs about the place, having returned to his own house to live with his wife and children. . After a time he became again subject to fits," but with the exception of frightening a few people with his mad antics, not much notice was taken by the general public, his relations aowever confining him while the fits lasted. §ome eight or nine mouths ago a daughter was born, and they named ncr Lillmn. About two months ago. it was reported he was running about with a knife, but this was proved to be unfounded- Previous to this last report the back bedroom had been used by the tvo eldest boys, but after that the cot was removed into, th,a front bedroom, and a bed left for Munro in the bapl*, th.« door between the front and back portions of the houee having the lock on the front si le On Monday Munro was observed to be running about and talking religion and was taken up to his mother's house. At nine o'clock he

appeared to na-ye recovered and expressed aj t wish to go to hid own house, to which he was 1 accompanied by his brother Peter, and his j mother, who left him in the back bedroom, i Mrs Munro locking the back door as they 1 left. Peter went off to his own home, and ] Mrs Bodell stood on the road opposite the house to see that all was quiet. The lights were put out aad she went home. About seven o'clock on Tuesday morning a little girl, the daughter of Mr Moßoberts. milkman, went to Munro' 8 house with the milk, and was unable to make anyone hear, so she returned to her father who was some 200 yards away, holding the horse's head. He left his daughter in charge of the horse and went over to Mutiro's house and knocked. He then observed Duncan Munro on the beach. at the back of the house, in his nightshirt making straight out to the tide. Mcßoberts found the back door looked but tho front door was unlatched, and he observed that there were marks of blood en the floor. He then saw the bodies covered with blood, and thought they were all dead. He informed Mr. Bodell, and returned to the house, and Mr Anquetil, who lives near went to fetch the doctor and police. Dr Bellen was soon in attendance, and found Mrs Munro in the kitchen with her eldest son, on the floor, lying in a pool of blood with their heads smashed. Mre Munro was nearly dressed, having her under clothing skirt and corset on ; the boy being in his nightdress. In the cot in the front room was Alexander, the third son, with his head also smashed, and the head board knooked off the cot. In the double bed were the baby girl and the second son John, both fearfally battered on the head. In all cases the skulls were smashed on the left side. Articles of furniture were knocked about, and the clocks in the kitchen and bedroom both broken up. All the bodies breathed when examined by the doctors, ( Dr Forte having been also sent for ) but little hopes for their recovery were held out. About ten o'clook Joha took convulsions and died without regaining consciousness, and about twenty minutes afterwards the eldest boy did the same. The baby died about an hour afterwards. Duncan Munro, in hi« shirt ran right rouud the beach by the Acid Works and came into town, where he was arrested by Constable Whelan and locked up. He was this morning still suffering from religious mania. His shirt is covered with spots of blood, but his hands had been roughly washed. He has a small cut on his hand. The instrument used in the murder is supposed to have been a smoothing- iron, which was found covered with blood.