TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10733, 2 November 1928, Page 5

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

MAN ENTERS HOUSE AND FIRES Tint EL WOAIEN DEAD. ANOTHER MAN CRITICALLY IXJ UR ED. MURDERER THEN COMMITS SUICIDE. Cnited Press Assn, by El. Tel. Copyrictn (Australian Press AssnO (Received Nov. 1, 8.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 1. A sensational shooting affray occurred this afternoon in Harrow Road. Rockdale suburb, when a man entered a house and blazed away with a revolver. He shot three women and a man and is believed to have turned the weapon on himself. Two women were killed, the others being in a serious condition. ("Received Nov. 1, 11.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. E Later derails disclose that four arc dead. They are:Alexander RobI'. 1 '. 10 years, returned soldier. Mis. Claude Palmer. 30 years. Airs. Edith Palmer, jnr.. 42 years. Airs. Elizabeth Ashley, housekeeper.

Stilt another man. Joseph Palmer, 80 years, critically injured. He has hitherto been an invalid and blind, and was .just able to utter something about the murder in the house.

The crime was apparently commuted by Rob'., who was a nephew of Airs. Palmer. He is described as a religious maniac and spiritualist, and the, Palmer family were known to be tlying to get him out of the: house. He recently came from his farm at Xiinbin, Northern Rivers.

The tragedy was discovered by a woman friend of Mrs. Palmed', who found the house m great disorder with corpses here and there. Mrs. Edith Palmer was lying on a sofa not dead, and was .just able to give the most brief details. The police were, immediately .summoned. They found Roth dead upsta'rs on the bed with a bullet wound in the chest.. There weie two rifles with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. also a long knife sharpened to a sharp point. The police, ascertained that the family was sitting at lunch when Robb entered and shot one after another. He then went upstairs and shot himself, manipulating ‘the trigger with the toe of his boot. The survivor Palmer was formerly railway employee. There are two bullets in Ills abdomen. Airs. Claude Palmer was shot in the neck and her jugular vein was severed. Airs. Edith Rainier died about hall an hour after admission to hospital. There were two Uillet wounds in her chest. She was well-known in musical circles, and was a member of “Cheer Oh, Girls,” which raised a considerable sum for charitab'c purposes. . , ‘ Airs. Ashley bad been with the Palmer family for many years.