DEATH PACT

Grey River Argus, 15 June 1933, Page 4

DEATH PACT

MURDER AND SUICIDE Old Couple Found (Pt Press Association A ghastly tragedy, which mu.-t hav ■ occurred nearly a week ago, was .jicovered by the police early this after noon, when a cottage in th ( . suburb' was broken into. The house was. occupied by : U , c ;d eriv couple, and when entered it wa> foun I that th c husband. .!<•-.q>h Wil son, waterside worker. had c:i idwife’s throat with a razor, and had used the razor tu commit suicid*'. Wilson had suffered from in Huami was visited by friends las; W.-d nesday. The following day. it v. found the house was closed, and the days went <>n. friends became sn-pic-ions. and communicated their 1- : to the police, who broke open ,>. door, short I v after noon, to-day. In a spare room, opening off • kitchen, the wife clad in a raincoal a ; Iving on her bavk on the floor, and the husband was in a stooping j.«. tion with his shoulder resting a (hair. There wer,. no sign- of a struggle. The tragedv evidently occurred la*-' Thursday, for a letter written by M;Wilson to her mother, believed to !•■■ in Christchurch, was found lying on the kitchen table, though the envelope wa s unaddressed. The house was spotlessly clean. Tim couple were childless and had live-1 alone in Gisborne for many years. There is no evidence of a suicide p’act. HOW WIFE MET HER DEATH. GISBORNE. June 14. Evidence of the murderous attack by i the husband was found when the body of the woman was examined. There was a wound on the back of the head, indicating that Wilson had attacked her from behind, while she was sitting at a sewing machine, and had th'*n cut her throat with a razor. A piece of sewing was on the machine and the woman apparently had been sitting with her back to the door. It is understood that Wilson had been suffering from insomnia. FURTHER DETAILS. GISBORNE, June 14. Tn connection with the Whatapiroko tragedy, a search of the premises revealed an axe with the blunt part of the head covered in blood. It appears that the woman has been subjected to a. murderous attack by her husband. Apparently she had been sitting at a sewing machine when the blunt part of the axe descended on her head with terrific, force, and while unconscious her throat was cut. From the trail of blood, it was evident that the man had there faced the mirror and cut his own throat with the same razor as he used on his wife. The couple from all accounts, were in comfortable circumstances, and the house was well furnished. The rent had been paid to the date of death, so that it is evident that financial worries were not the cause of the tragedy. It is understood that Wilson suffered from insomnia, and this added to an attack of influenza may have affected his brain. He had been a wellknown member of the Watersiders’ I nion for the past, thirteen years, but according to neighbours, was of a somewhat morose disposition. He was a very tall and powerfrfl man, while the woman was slight and of average 1 build. The couple resided in Gisborne for twenty years. Mrs Wilson’s parents reside in Christchurch.