The Tauranga Tragedy.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6380, 16 February 1892, Page 2

The Tauranga Tragedy.

DEATH OF MRS MUNRO

VIOLENCE OF THE POOR WOMAN BEFORE DEATH.

PROFOUND PUBLIC SYMPATHY.

THE LITTLE BOY EXPECTED TO RECOVER.

[PEE PEESS ASSOCIA.TION.J

Tauhanga, Last night. Mrs Munro, the fourth victim of tho U'!v:..'dy last week, died last night, and was buried to-day. The last survivor, the little boy Alexander, bids fair to recover from his terrible injuries.

Auckland, Last night. On Saturday afteruoon Mr T. Q. Cooper (deputy inspector) and Mr F. G. Ewington 'official visitor) inspected the lunatic asylum and made th« usual enquiries required. As special in f crest is attached to the case of the ex-patient Munro, who last week murdered his children, the following is that portion of their report to the Government which relates to his discharge:—"We wish to refer to the caso of Duncan Munro, formerly a patient in the axylurn, but released on twelve months' probation in November, 188". This week ho attacked his wife and four children, killing three children and so injuring , his wife and the other child that death will no doubt ensue. We find that he was admitted to the asylum or. the 10th of June. 1889, and that on the 20th of July, 1889, Dr. King, in a< swer to a letter from Mrs Munro, recommended that her husband should remain in the asylum for some time longer, and did not consider that a complete recovery was probable. A similar communication, was forwarded to her on August Hih, 18S9 On November 18th, ISB9, Dr. King wrote t to Mrs Munro intimating that her huwbaud was • sufficiently recovered to be sunt out on trial,' and on the 23rd of November, JSS9, Mrs Muuro forwarded the necessary application desiring her husband to be released on probation. The application was signed by her, and she undertook on or before the expiry of a period of twelve months to replace him in the aaylum if it was neoecHHry. Dr. King gave the necessary medicaJ certificate that Munro was ' a proper patient to be liberated on trial for a period of twelve months,' and upon that certificate Mr Thos. Cooper, Deputy Inspector, signed the nece&sary authority under section 163 of the Lunatics Act, 1882. The patient wae theu placed in charge of his friends. Mrs Bodell, hia mother, and his other relatives and friends expressed their desire in writing for his discharge, and stated their intention to exercise propur supervision over him. It is right to add that Mrs Munro was not in July, 1889, willing that her husband should bo discharged ou trial unless the doctor was quite satWied that he could properly be liberated, and fo: , tho purpose of satisfying himMulf upon tho point the doctor detained Munro in the asvluin until November, 1889. iroin tbe time of hie discharge until the

outbreak of iuaauity on Tuesday last no infoimatiou was conveyed to the asylum auth(iriti(?e as to Munro'e state of mind. Under tiiu Lunatic* Aon, 18S2. at the expiration of H days from the ifith of November, 1890, the patieot became dischatsfed by the operation of the law, und could only have been legally received back into the asylum by a fr» sh committal. It appears to us that no responsibility for thedistrgssin.- occurrence rt-sts upon the asylum authorities. If Mum'o during the period from the 25th of November, 1889, manifested any Violent symptoms it was cleariy the duty of hie relatives to take the necessary proceedings to return him to the asylum. This they did not do.

Munro came up to Auckland by the s.s. Clansman in chare* of Constable Whelan, and is now in Mount Eden gaol. He remains in the same state of mind as formerly. Particulars to hand from Tauranga as to th> death of Mr.-, Munro state that she ueviM- recovered consciousness. On Saturday she had eonv unions, but afterwards i-eemed to rally a little. Subsequently, however, she had another similar attack' which left her extremely weak and low. Her wounds were being treated with carbolic dressings, but they began to assume a very dangerous appearance During one jof ht-r paroxysms on Saturday ehe tore all ! tier bandages off her head, and exhibited wonderful strength for hor state, but the reaction was very gr.,at The doctor had her two wrists tied together with a linen bandage to prevent her tearing: the bandages from her head, but the nurso had loosened the linen bandajre, and in Mrs Monro's convulsivo efforts ,-he broke the fastening, and instinctively put her hauds to her head tearing the bandages off, although completely unconscious. It beuan to be evident on Saturday that the end could not be long delayed, and on Sunday morning the state of the poor woman and the appearance of her head were something dreadful. Her extremities to grow cold, and she rapidly began to sink, and after a while she passed away comparatively peacefully. The dreadful surroundings of poor Mrs Munro's lingering death stirred public sympathy and compassion toitsprofoundest depths. The funeral took place this afternoon, and was most affecting.

An inquest on the late M*-s Munro took place to-day before the coroner and the same jury that sat on the last occasion. All the witnesses in the former case were examined and in addition George Cummings, whose evidence being all hearsay was immaterial, and Mrs Bodell, mother of Duncan Munroj Much more public interest was taken in this enquiry than in the last, as it was expected that some important revelations would be made, but s ich was not the case. After a quarter of an hour's deliberation a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Munro. The following , rider was added :

" The jury are of opinion that the Government should cause a searching enquiry to be made as to how and by what means the said Duncan Munro came to be released from the Auckland lunatic asylum, chere being no evidence to show that he was discharged through any petition or application of friends." The rider to the verdict appears to have bean added because of the very meagre information obtainable as to the measures taken to obtain Duncan Munro's release.