DOUBLE MURDER

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1927, Page 11

DOUBLE MURDER

GRUESOME HEREFORD TRAGEDY. At Hereford Assizes, before Mr Justice Swift Charles Houghton (45), butler, charged with the murder of his employers, two ladies named Elinor Drinkwater Woodhouse and Martha Gordon Woodhouse, at Burghill Court, was found guilty and sentenced to death. For the prosecution, it was stated that Miss Elinor Woodhouse and her sister lived together at Burghill Court. The prisoner was their butler, and had been in their service for about 22 years. He had a very comfortable position. During the summer, he became intemperate in his habits, and the two ladies decided to give him notice. On September 6, there was an interview, and prisoner was told that he must leave at once, being given a month’s wages in lieu of notice. He protested against the shortness of notice, considering his length of service. The two ladies then gave him till the following Saturday. Shortly before 10 o’clock next morning he went into the kitchen and asked if Miss Elinor was likely to come round with the orders for the day, and the cook said, “Yes, she will be round ina minute.” He went out. In a minute of two Miss Elinor came into the kitchen, and had her interview with the cook. She then opened the door to go out. At that moment there was the report of a gun, and. in a few seconds there was another report. The cook ran to see what was the matter, and found that Miss Elinor and Miss Martha had been shot in the neck and chest, and both died in a few minutes. The prisoner, who was heard running up the stairs, was afterwards round locked in his room, and when the police gained entrance he had attempted his own life by cutting his throat.

For* the defence, medical evidence was called to show that the aedfised was dull in intellect. As a child he had fits. Later on he received a nasty blow on the head. He was subject to epilepsy. The jury returned a verdict of “Guilty,” and the judge, as stated, passed sentence of death.