TRAGEDY AT TUAPEKA.

Evening Star, Issue 14636, 4 August 1911, Page 6

TRAGEDY AT TUAPEKA.

A FAEMER KILLS HIS WIFE AND COMMITS SUICIDE. Thomas Colehan, a fairmer at Tuapeka West, shot his wife dead last evening, and then committed suicide by shooting himself through the head. The Inspector of Police received a telegram from the local sergeant this morning, apprising him of the tragic fact. The brief telegram stated that the weapon used was a pea rifle, and that no cause for the dire act is known. Mrs Colehan was also shot through the head. Her husband was quite a young man of 30 years of age. Hie mother resides at Waitaii. ONLY A FEW MONTHS MARRIED. WHAT CAUSED THE DEED? TEMPER THROUGH INTEMPERANCE SUGGESTED. [From Oxm Special Correspondent.] A very sad double tragedy occurred at Tuapeka" West last evening between 5 and half-past 5 o'clock. It occurred in a house belonging to Thomas Colehan, situated on what is known an the Balclutha Borough endowment, towards tho lower ond of tho Tuapeka West settlement, and a short distance from the Kononi Post Office. About half-past 5 o'clock one of Colehan's employees named Cowio came to the house for liis tea, and not noticing any signs of life had a look round, and discovered Colehan and his wife lying dead in tho sitting room. Mrs Colehan was lying on her back on the floor with her head on the sofa and a wound on her left temple, while Colehan was lying alongside with his head i-esting on his wife's breast with a pea. riUe between his legs, his light hand ou the trigger, and a wound on his right templo. So far as can be ascertained tho last to see tho couple alive was a neighbor named Mrs Johnston, who was in tho houso with them from 3 till 5 o'clock in the afternoon. She says she saw nothing wrong and had no suspicion of anything being wrong, as both Colehan and his wife were, so far as she knew, on the best of terms. Colehan was about 31 ox 32 years of age, a,nd his wife, whose maiden name was Ritchie, was about 25 years. They were married only a few months ago, some tune towards tho end of last year. Colehan came from Waitati before settling at Tuapeka West, his mother having been for some years the proprietress of the wellknown Saratoga Hotel. It is alleged that Colehan was given to intemperance, and often when the worse of liquor was given to fits of temper, and it is feared that when in one of these fits ho committed the sad deed. An inquest will bo held at Kononi to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock.