DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 22272, 25 February 1936, Page 8

DOUBLE TRAGEDY

MOTHER AND FATHER DEAD VICTIMS OF TOMAHAWK ATTACK SON ARRESTED Tragedy in its ghastliest shape overwhelmed a Ravensbourne household this morning, the mother and father of a family of five in a tidy, comfortable home at 271 Main road being battered to death. The victims were: Thomas Davidson, aged 67, a retired furnaceman. Agnes M'lntosh Davidson, aged 59, his wife. While the victims were lying dead at the back of the house a 22-ycar-old son, Stanley, was sitting quietly on a sofa in a bay window overlooking the harbour when the police arrived only a few minutes after the attack had occurred, and the young man was taken into custody. He made no resistance whatever and showed no signs of recognition of the tragedy to which, it is alleged, he was a party. Terrible injuries to the head were received by both Mr and Mrs Davidson, who had also gashes on their arms, where, apparently, they had attempted to ward off the rain of blows. The wounds were so severe that death must have been instantaneous, at least in the case of Mrs Davidson. The tragedy occurred with dramatic suddenness shortly after 11 o’clock. Only a little time before Mrs Davidson had been talking to a neighbour, and two children from the next home had been playing in the Davidsons’ yard. There was not the slightest sign of any event which would lead to the double fatality.

The children of Mrs Dow, who occupies the neighbouring bungalow, had just returned from playing next door, and Mrs Dow had gone to her own yard to bring in the baby when she heard terrifying screams. As she reached the hedge dividing the properties, Mrs Davidson, who was frantically alarmed, rushed towards her. But the woman turned before reaching Mrs Dow, who was horrified to see Mr Davidson lying down on his face and groaning, in the back porch, with an assailant over him _ and still raining blows on his head with an instrument. It appeared that Mrs Davidson made a sudden decision to return to her husband’s aid. She actually reached the doorway when the attack w r as turned upon 'her. Mrs Dow immediately rushed to the neighbour on the city boundary of her home, and a call for police assistance was made. While Constable Hood, who is relieving at the Ravensbourne station, hurried to the house with another man a call was put through to the Central Police Station by Mr W. Connor, clerk to the West Harbour Borough Council. Only a few minutes had elapsed since 'Mrs Dow, a young housewife, had been a spectator of the double attack, and before going to the back of the premises by the pathway, Constable Hood posted the other man at the gate in case the assailant had not by then got away. That the need for assistance was past was at once apparent to the constable. Mrs Davidson was lying dead, with her head frightfully injured, on the concrete pathway between the house and a low embankment, while the dead body of Mr Davidson was lying in the porch, his head and shoulders being on the outside pavement. In a few minutes, Chief-detective J. B. Young and Detectives H. Wells and H. Le Sueur arrived. Inside the porch Mr Young found a blood-stained tomahawk, and going to the sitting room in the front of the house he found Stanlev Davidson, a son, sitting on the sofa looking out of the window on to the harbour, a stone’s throw from the house. The young man was immediately taken into custody. He was exceedingly quiet, and made no resistance whatever when removed and placed in the police car, which conveyed two officers and the arrested man to the Central Police Station. Dr W. Evans, the police surgeon, made an examination of the bodies; and photographs were taken of the scene. Mr Davidson, who retired from the emplov of a Dunedin foundry some months ago, was very well known in the West Harbour district, in which, for many years, he took a keen interest in all activities. All his family resided with him and his wife, but Stanley was the only member unemployed. The other three' sons and the daughter were away at work when the tragedy occurred. For some months last year Stanley Davidson had been an inmate of an institution. Since returning to his home he had worked in the garden. Described by friends of the family as always of a quiet nature, he was very devoted to his mother and father, whose kindness he had recognised, neighbours stated. The young man was on friendly terms with the rest of the family, but, it is stated, he never made his presence known in the home. . ■ , There was no warning of the tragedy. The mother was apparent!)' m the hack garden when the attack was made suddenly in the house. Mr Davidson had reached the porch and had only a step to make to be into the open when he was struck over the head from behind with a sharp instrument, the blow felling him. The injuries were so severe that it would appear that any one of the several wounds would have been fatal. What actually caused the attack no one will probably know. But the sequence of events which ended in the loss of two lives Ts provided by the scene witnessed by Mrs Dow When within an ace of escaping with her own life, Mrs Davidson swiftly turned to her husband’s assistance, only to meet a sudden death. On being attacked, she apparently attempted to escape by the path, but was struck down before she had gon© five yards. Her head was terribly mutilated, on© blow having cleaved her skull. Both the victims had seemingly endeavoured to ward off the blows, as their arms bore several cuts. The rear of the home, which had every evidence of being kept with scrupulous tidiness and was very comfortably furnished, Was a shambles. Commendation is due to Mrs Dow and her neighbour for so promptly giving the alarm, and to the police for the expedition with which officers from both the Ravensbourne and Central Stations made their thorough investigations and arrest. The accused man will he formally charged at the Police Court to-mor-roiy morning.