OTAGO TRAGEDY.

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1928, Page 5

OTAGO TRAGEDY.

MURDER AND SUICIDE. Man Cuts Woman’s Throat. AND THEN HIS OWN.' *. DUNEDIN, August 24 A siugl e woman, I‘eggy Mclnue.-, was found at Xvaitati suoray aiun midnight, with her tnroat cat. and Lead bushed in. Near her bouy ■< -’ found, the body of Thomas Lins, via his throat cat. The scene was the grounds <;f the Oraxanui Mental Hoiuv. Thq murdeim woman, Peggy .Mclmits, aged lo waa employed as a nurse on the stair, having been, recently transferred from Seacliff, whiie 1 norias Ln.is, about uo. ■was employed as biicKlayer ai, b’.aclrll by tne Lo\e Constriction Company. Just before mid*ug.»t, Cuxishable Pearcci was awakened by a man named O’Neill, a member ol the 1.0-juta. staff, who stated lie. had heard groans from the drive, and that he had on going out found Ellis staggering about with his throat cut. Constable Pearce, going to the so found Ellis dead. He returned home, but later was awakened with the news, that the nursu was missing. After a search, her body was found amongst the scrub beneath pine treev She was lying on a, travelling rug. Her head was terribly hacked anu her . throat cut. The d<'d was apparent .y W4<'. • with a stone tied in a handkerPvc f, and a pocket knife. • It transpires that Elis with his throat cut was found roatuing around the hospital grounds within 30 yards of the spot wiife the murdered girl was • subsequently located. This means that his cries must have beta particularly loud to have attracted notice from the hospital building. The motive for the crime appears to have been one arising from jealousy. Miss MelnnesKwas keeping company with two men, Ellis being one, and it appears she was hesitating as to whom she would eventually choose. In Ellis’s coat, the police feund a letter* addressed to him, which had been sent by the girl. It was couch *d in friendly, if not loving, terms, and through it an appointment to meet was made, but not for the night ( of the tragedy. The Love Construction Company states that Ellis was with their firm at Seacliff only until July 21 lasi, therefore, as far as is known be Lao been out of work for some time.

Evidence at Inquest. A FATEFUL LETTER. VERDICT OF MURDER BY ELLIS. DUNEDIN, August 24. Regarding the Waitati murder, an inquest was held this afternoon, when it was stated that Nurse Mclnnes was 25 years of age. She had been relieving at the Home since August Ist. and she previously had been employed at the Seacliff Mental Hospital, where Ellis who was 34 years of age, and who was divorced from his wife, had been employed as a bricklayer and plasterer x’’ n the construction of a new building. After the finding of the bodies had been described, Nurse Laurent, in whom the murdered woman had confided, said that she understood that Nurse McInnes was undecided between two men one of whom was Ellis. Ellis had quarrelled with her. She had told witness that, at a dance at Seacliff, she had danced with other men, and not very often with Ellis. This had made him jealous. Nurse Mclnnes led witness t 0 believp that she hud finally rejected Ellis. She had entrusted witness with a letter to Ellis, about which she seemed to be worried. She was eager to get a reply, and she was dreading the contents. She had asked him several questions and she had hoped that he would answer each one. Dr Tizer described the injuries, and he stated that there was no sign that Nurse Mclnnes had been interfered with sexually. “Thc facts of this sad tragedy are only too plain,” said the Coroner. “It is obvious that Nurse Mclnnes was murdered by Ellis, who then cut his throat. ’ ’ A verdict was returned accordingly.