A WANGANUI TRAGEDY.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 15

A WANGANUI TRAGEDY.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER. (rRKSS ItSOCUTIOX T«L«<J*iUt) * WANGANTJI, December U. About 10 o'clock last night Alfred George Donaldson, a caretaker, rushed out of his home at No. 10 Dublin street, calling for a doctor. He collapsed, on the front lawn, dying shortly afterwards from loss of blood caused by a deep wound low down on the left shoulder, which had severed th© jugular vein. Mr B. Drewer, who lives upstairs in & flat next door, said that he heard (i woman rush from the house followed by a man who was calling for a doctor. Mr Brewer called for someone to get a doctor and then ran to tho St. John's Police Station. Th© constable was hot in, but his wife rang up the Central Police Station, and two constables were soon oil the spot. Dr. Reid was called to the scenfe, but tho man was dead. Before marrying Donaldson the victim's wif« was married to a man named Walker. There was one son of that marriage, Walter Walker, said to be about 16 years old, who had been living at home until recently. This morning Elizabeth Donaldson was charged with murder and wtis remanded until December 23rd. The inquest was adjourned sine die. A tradesman says that ho knew that the parties had numerous One evening recently Mrs Donaldson callod at his home with her clothing badly torn. She said that she had quarrelled with her husband and intimated that she intended to leave him after Christmas.

A decrease of seven in the total number of infectious and other notifiable diseases in the Canterbury and West Coast Health Districts was reported for the week ended noon yesterday as compared with the previous week. The total was 18, as follows: — Canterbury: Scarlet fever, 3; diphtheria, 8 j enteric fever, 2j tuberculosis, 1; pneuuonic influenza, 1; erysipelas, 1; hydatids, 1. West Coast: Diphtheria, 1. No deaths from infectious diseases were reported from either district. At the previous meeting of the Council, the Keserves Committee reported that an offer had been received for the purchase of a subdivisional reserve situated in Rhodes street, Merivale, but at the request of the chairman, the clause was h6ld Over in Compliance with the request of a resident of the locality, who intimated that there might be Certain objections from other residents in the locality to the sale of the reserve. The committee reported last night that it had now appointed a sub-committee who would make inquiries concerning the matter, and it was recommended that this Bub-C'ommittee be given power to make the necessary arrangements if it deemed it desirable to accept the offer. Thfe report was adopted.