SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 43, 14 November 1907, Page 7

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

A CHRISTCHURCH SENSATION. MAN SHOOTS HIS WIFE AND ATTEMPTS SUICIDE. (BY TELEGRAM—MESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, November 13. ■ About 7.30 this morning a middle-aged man named Hans Wilson, residing on thi Lincoln Road, in tho vicinity of Wilderness Road, fatally shot his wifo with a rovolvor, and then attempted to commit suicide. From the circumstances surrounding thg lamentable occurrence, it is gleaned that Wilson, who was not engaged in any omploymont, but looked after tho house while hia wifo and tho older mombors: of his family wont out to-work, got up this .morning to got his oldest son John (who is employed at the Addington workshops) his breakfast, tho lattor leaving home at 6.50 a.m., up to which time nothing unußual had happened. Mrs. Wilson was then in bed, as also were thrco other children, tho second son (William Ernest, aged 15), being absont from h0m0... This son states that thero was no difference-in- his father's demeanour last night, save that ho was quieter and inclined to. bo : sarcastic. ■ .' ' SHOTS HEARD. At 7.30 Harold Burley, aged 17, son of a next door neighbour, '.was bringing home the milk for breakfast,. and as ho passed the houso heard shots. . i> . : '~ ■ ■ ■ I'-; "Going to his owii place, ho looked,ovor the fence, and saw Mrs, Wilson lying, at the baok door. Ho investigated tho cause, and, after sending for tho ambulance, apprised tho constable in'charge of the Addiugtoa police'station of tho occurrence. ; Tho constable was promptly on tho soene, and found Mrs. Wilson partly dressed, with a man's cape round her shoulders, lying at tho back door in a dying condition. ■ , 'Wilson had ovidontly entered tho bbdroom as the.unfortunate woman was dressing, and firod three shots froin a new,.3.80 revolver, ono bullet striking her on-tho right arm, another on the loft .elbow, . and a third lodging in. her abdomen. -The victim then stagger.cd.put of.the room to the baok door, : where she fell. Dr. Marks was summoned, and, on arriy-. ing a fow minutes latbr, found the woman had .died. >. ■ :. .■ • . ■.'. y, , . i Ono of tho children told the constablo that Wilson,'had .locked-himself in tho parlour. The officer. wenfc to tho door, but was unable to gain admittance and so forced c.n entrance with ah asp/ ■ .'*' : '" 'j'.i BULLET HOLES IN THEWALLS. , Hβ found the apartment in a shocking condition.. Several bullet "holes wore in tha walls, and another hole through the window. Wilson had turned tho rovolver upon himself, tho missile penetrating tho top of his' loft lung, and emerging at the , .baok bolow tho shoulder blade. There was a pool of blond close,'.to the sofa, near where tho re* volvor was lying, and a trail to tho windoir, towards which Wilson had craw.lcd, The man was in a comatose condition, and made ■no answer to 'questions put to him., Constablo M'Kcofroy .had^Wilsoi^ Removed to tho hospital in an ambulance, and subsequently the body of. the' womaii" was conveyed to the morgue. Four empty rovolvor,shells wore found on j the floor, and two in .the weapon,. the other ■ three chambers being loaded. A numbor of loaded cartridges were also obtained. The revolver bore several bloodstains, and entwined round tho barrel was a long fair hair from the victim's head. A SON'S STATEMENT. Arthur Wilson states that, his mother came out of her bedroom a ftor being shot, and staggered to the back door, leaving a trail ■ of blood behind hor. No ono in the house appoars to hnve heard any quarrelling, and apparently the act was committed in cold blood. ..,.,. ... The deoeased woman; who was much respected and of prepossessing appearance, had relatives at Belfast. ' V . . , Wilson, it will be remembered, attempted to shoot his wifo (Annabello Wilson) en April 15, tlip night of the Exhibition closing. Ho was charged with tho offenco on the following day,' and remanded! to April 23 for medical examination. On tho. latter occasion', ho was committed to Sunnysido Asylum,.' arid was rolensod about three months ago, on condition that ho abstained from' drinking, a prohibition order boing taken out against him. His habits since then have beon sober, and thero is no suggestion that he had beon drinking , lately. Members,, of tho family stato that if ho had beon.';drinking he would havo immediately been sent back to Sunnysido. . Wilson's condition, was-most critical late .this afternoon, aiid thore appeared a vej?r poor, chanco of his recovery. . . ■ •

•'■'■' THE INQUEST. J An inquest was opened to-night concerning ■ i the death of Mrs. Wilson. , Medical cvidonce '■ was given-that'tho revolver wounds might- i ■not.-hnvo caused death, and tho inquo.st was ij adjourned till to-morrow, Ijor a, post-mortein : \>v ;i examination. ' ' |