BRUTAL MURDERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1939, Page 13

BRUTAL MURDERS

TWO WOMEN KILLED. SYDNEY. February 11. A sudden wave of brutal murders shocked the State. The third within just over a week occurred yesterday on Congai station, owned by the wellknown meat firm T. A. Field, Limited. The station is in the Tamworth district and is managed by Mr. P. Borthwick. About 3.30 yesterday afternoon, one of the station yardmen went down to the McDonald River, which flows through the property, to get his horse. In the river he saw floating a green blouse which he recognised as belonging to Mrs. Edna Dixon, wife of one of the boundary riders. Forcing his way through the blackberry bushes on the river bank, he found Mrs. Dixon’s body almost covered by the water and dragged it to the bank. She had been shockingly injured. She had apparently been battered with a piece of bloodstained wood which was lying on the river bank, for there was a deep gash above her right eye, and her head had been terribly injured. She had also been shot twice —once in the head and once in the right shoulder. The Dixons had been married for four years. Mr. Dixon was away from the homestead with other employees ring-barking trees, and Mrs. Dixon had set out with her sister, Gwendoline May Murray, aged 15. who was staying with her, to go blackberrying. Near Mrs. Dixon’s body their gear was lying—their billies and kerosene tin which they had taken to put the berries in. Their shoes were also there.

Gwendoline Murray's body was found about 500 yards further along the river bank. Apparently Mrs. Dixon had been killed first, and her sister had fled in terror from the murderer. Her clothes and her body had been torn by barbed wire and the blackberry bushes through which she had forced her way in her fear. She had been killed by a bullet which had struck her just behind the right ear. The sisters had been dead about five hours when their bodies were found. Detectives, who were rushed to the scene from Armidale and Sydney, believe that Mrs. Dixon and her sister took oft' their shoes to wade across the river, which was very low. and were attacked when they reached the other bank. Mrs. Dixon evidently made a desperate attempt to defend herself. On the bank there were signs of a ■fierce struggle, and blood marks led to her body. She had been wearing a green blouse and black shorts. Her straw hat, stained with blood, lay about five yards away.

The same night a man was arrested and charged with the murder of the two women.