FOUND SHOT IN WOOD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20142, 11 January 1940, Page 12

FOUND SHOT IN WOOD

KNIGHT AND HIS WIFE WORRIES DUE TO THE WAR LONDON, Dee. 2. Sir William James Reid, a former aeting-Governor of Assam, and His wife were found shot dead a few miles from their home at Durford Wood, on the Sussex border, after a 36-hour search by friends and the police of two counties. Friends stated that worry over the war and reception of evacuee children was the cause of the tragedy. One of the closest friends of the family said: “Sir William and Lady Reid were a devoted couple. They had lived in retirement for about 10 years. Sir William, who was US, seldom left the estate, and it was a great shock to a man of his age suddenly to have to take into his home two children.

‘‘He and his wife were childless, and they received two boys aged about 12. The boys were no different from others of the same age, but they made a great change in that spick and span house. Sir William was worried lest this would affect his wife's delicate health, and also because the children had to leave their parents.

“I had tea with Lady Reid last week, and she did not contemplate death then, for she asked me to have tea again this week, livery afternoon she took her Labrador puppy for a walk, and on Tuesday just before tea-time Sir William accompanied her. They did not return.” Servants notified a relative of Lady Reid, and when he inspected the house he found that Sir William’s shotgun was missing from its place on the library wall. Police and neighbours were informed and a search party was led by Sir Hugh Rigby, who was SergeantSurgeon to King George V. and an old friend of Sir William. The bodies were found this morning by a constable. Beside them was the body of the dog, shot through the head, and a sporting gun.