MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1116, 2 May 1911, Page 6

MURDER AND SUICIDE.

« — ON THE BANKS OF THE ONGARUE. ATTRIBUTED TO JEALOUSY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Auckland, May 1. The "Star's" Taumarunui correspondent telegraphs that a murder and suicido occurred at midday yesterday on tho banks of.the Ongarue River, 150 yards from the boat landing. A young half-caste Maori, Tanino Bell, is supposed to have murdered Anna Thomas, who was also a half-caste, cutting her throat with a razor, then cutting his own throat with another razor. Tho end of tho tragedy was witnessed by Mr. Harris, who promptly secured the assistance of a local doctor and police, but Bell and the woman were both dead. The bodies were conveyed to tho morgue. Tho tragedy is attributed to jealousy, Bell and tho woman having been keeping company. A Taihapc Press Association telegram states that Bell was twenty years of age and Anna Thomas eighteen. Bell was a prominent footballer. He had attended church in the morning, and met Anna Thomas on returning, about 11.45. Later. . Mr. Harris, who.is manager for Messrs. Hatriek and Co., states that when going down tho river to test the depth at the rapids, he noticed Bell staggering about ns if drunk. Bell fell, and on rising again Mr. Harris noticed him slash his throat with a razor and collapse. Mr. Harris endeavoured, after giving the alarm, to stop the bleeding, and tho thought struck him to look at the spot where Bell had staggered from. He then discovered tho dead body of the girl. Bell soon succumbed to Ms injuries.