A SYDENHAM TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 762, 10 March 1910, Page 7

A SYDENHAM TRAGEDY.

MAN STRIKES HIS -WIFE WITH A . ... ~ TOMAHAWK.

AND COMMITS .SJUICIDE.■'...,,

.' : IBy-TeleErabn.—Presi Association.) : :"-■".. .'■"'' Chris'tchurch, March 9. . James' Frederick Trciigrove, a casual labourer, residing in Queen Street, Sydenham, committed suicide- at his house th-'s morning-, by. cutting his throat with a razor, after, he had made an attempt to murder his wife with a tomahawk. . ■ It appears that, Trengrove was casnaliy employed as a ; labourer on the railway, and for some time past he had nc-t lived at all , happily with his wife. He had been , on: a drinking bout,. a,nd he went home, drunk on. Saturday night, and created a disturbance. The police were sent for, but they could not do anything in the matter. . .

Yesterday Mrs.. Trengrove went to Court, and. instituted proceedings for a summary separation order, and this morning, it is stated,, another quarrel ensued. She informed her husband of her intention to apply : for the order, whereupon he became violent, picked up a small tomahawk,, and. struck her a blow with the edge on the ; ,back of the head.. Silo was knocked down, but a little Jater re•covered sufficiently to run out on to the street, where she began screaming "Murder."

A young man passing on a bicycle im. mediately informed Constable Golding of the trouble, and -the constable, v;ith Sergeant Kemer, hurried to the house.' On entering they found Tfengrove lying in the passage with his throat cut and a razor beside him. Trehgrove was all but dead. A medical man, who had been telephoned for, arrived just a few moments after, iho police officials. Trengrove was alive then, but died shortly after. Mrs. Trengrove in the' meantime wa.9 attended to by neighbours, and removed to an adjacent house. Her condition, as far as can be gathered, is not thought to bo serious. ' •

Trongrove's body was removed to the morgue,: where an inquest was opened. Sergeant itemor stated that he knew deceased, who was of intemperate habits, and lived very unhappily with his wife, who had complained to witness of her husband's oruelty. About five. minut«s past ten this morning ho visited Trengrove's house, and found the man lying in tho passago with his throat cut. Trengrove was. atiyo w.ben tho doctor arrived. The dootor injected salt and water into the wound, but the man died before the operation was completed. Mrs. Trongrove was in an adjacent lioneo, suffering from injuries alleged to have been inflicted by her husband with a tomahawk. '.

Constable Golding said that about ten o'clock this morning' he was informed that a woman had run out of a house in Queen . Street, Sydenham, , calling out "Murder." 'Ho went along, and •found Treugrove lyin» in the naKUKo with hie throat cut, nnd the razor produced lying alongside him. No one saw the man commit suicide. Witness understood that Iho blow received by Mrs. Trenirrovo knocked her down. When slio recovered sho ran out on to the strcot, but her husband did not follow her. The man had been on a. drinking bout, nml on Saturday night he went homo drunk, nml the police wore sent for. Trongrovo was rniiUTolling with his w:ifc then. When drunk tho man was very violent. A. summons for a separation order against Trongrovo had been issued, but not served.' Sergeant Remer: I think ho knew the Reparation order wns going to bo applied The coroner at this stage adjourned tho inquest, till Mrs. Trongrovo had-suffi-ciently recovered to enable her to appear and give evidence.