BRUTAL MURDER

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 128, 26 November 1941, Page 9

BRUTAL MURDER

LONELY WOMAN KILLED

HEAD BATTERED WITH HAMMER

MAN.SEEN ESCAPING

(0.C.)

PALMERSTON N., This Day,

A woman was murdered while sitting at her sewing machine in the Jiving-room of her home, 245 Park Road, Palmerston North,

shortly after 9 o'clock last night.

The victim' was Mrs. Speight, aged about 35 years, wife of Frederick Joseph Speight, who is a commercial traveller for a machinery firm.

A man was seen to leave the place, hurriedly riding a bicycle. A neighbour, Mr. E. R. Harris, was sitting in his kitchenette examining a rbad map when the night was shattered by Mrs. Speight's screams.- Wondering what was wrong, he went to a window and listened. The screams continued, and he heard sounds as ,of blows and as if something was being torn. * Quickly he summoned Mr. V. D.' Christensen, his neighbour, on the other side, and the latter telephoned to the police. Constable J. Gunn was promptly on the scene and it was wHen the policeman* was at the front door of the Speights' house that a man rode a bicycle rapidly down the drive and out on to the road.. The darkness prevented identification and the man was too far. away from Constable Gunn to be stopped. . ,

Mrs. Speight was found still breathing, though unconscious, and died within an hour, ncr head having been horribly battered* with a hammer wrapped in cloth. . Apparently she was attacked from behind while sitting at her sewing machine. Mrs. Speight was alone at the time. Her son, a lad. aged about 12 years, was at the pictures and Mr. Speight was away on business at Rangiwahia.' The son returned home about 10.30 p.m., unaware of what had happened. The Speights' home is situated in a fairly closely-settled residential area and they had lived there for at least 15 years. •

AN ARREST MADE 4

This afternoon the police at Palmerston North arrested a man in connection with the death of Mrs. Speight. He has yet to appear before the Court.