THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3574, 25 February 1914, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

INQUEST CONCLUDED YESTERDAY. BAXTER’S VERSION 01* THE AFFAIR. A SORDID DRAMA REVEALED.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.! CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 24. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Hannah Thompson, the victim of the Durham Street tragedy, was continued this afternoon before the coroner (Mr H. W. Bishop). Alexander Thompson, son of deceased, appeared in custody. Sen.-Sergeant Mathieson gave evidence of going to the house in Durham Street on Friday evening last. Thompson made the following statement to him: —

I am a laborer. My mother’s name is Hannah Thompson. I had an argument over some boot laces with a man named Baxter, a' laborer, who lived with my mother. Baxter has been living with my mother and sleeping in the same room. The argument started over hoot laces. Baxter started dictating to me about boots. I asked him what he had to do with me. I came downstairs and asked him what ho meant and he started going crook on me. Baxter made to (strike at me and I started to defend myself, and made a smack at him. I hit a chair in place of hitting film. He then tried to wrestle with me and 1 made a smack at him.

‘My mother stood in my, road and received the blow. Baxter and my mother went out in the yard and to the washhouse. “My mother fell down when I struck her. The blood stains on the floor came from my mother when she was being carried in. Her age was 50 years.”

William Baxter, laborer, after describing the quarrel, said Thompson’s mother said something to her son, who began swearing and gave her a hit on the side of the face and knocked her down. Witness was not within feet of Thompson at the time, so the blow could not have been meant for him. He was three or four yards away at the time. Mrs Thompson got up and her son still continued his bad language and hit his mother again and knocked her down once more Jrv the fireplace, she falling on the fender and breaking a piece off the en.d. Her face was bleeding. When whiles brought Mrs Thompson out of the bathroom into the backyard, Thompson said, “You keep out of the road mother, that’s the I want.” His mother tried to pacify him and said there was nothing to quarrel about. Thompson said “shut up, or IT give you another clout.” He did hit her again with his open hand and knocked her down again in the yard. Mrs Thompson fell on the ground and witness picked her up. He did not think she was seriously hurt and went inside to get the teapot to make tea. Mrs Thompson could stand by herself at that time. Witness heard Thompson swearing at his mother and came out again. He saw Thompson make another blow at his mother and knock her down on a wooden case that was standing near by. Witness noticed furious bleeding coming from underneath Mrs Thompson’s clothing. Witness took her into the bathroom and offered to wash her. but Mrs Thompson said. T don’t think so.” He showed Thompson the blood running down his mother’s leg and said. “I think you’ve just about done for your poor mother now.” Thompson took no heed of what witness said and never answered. Mrs Thompson died soon after. The Coroner returned a verdict: ‘That deceased, Hannah Thompson, on the 20th day of February, 1914, at Christchurch, 'did die from hemorrhage .caused by the rupture of a varicose vein due to falling against a sharp substance, the said fall being caused by a blow from her son, Alexander Thompson.”

Accused was remanded until Saturday next.. At the conclusion of the hearing of the inquest Miss Wright, accused’s young lady, fainted away and had to be attended to by officials of the court.