GHASTLY CRIME

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 June 1925, Page 5

GHASTLY CRIME

WOMAN STABBED

BOY’S UNEXPLAINED ACT.

ASSAILANT COMMITS SUICIDE

&iY CABLE—PRKSS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT,

(Received June 25, 10.35 a.m.) ADELAIDE, June 25. A ghastly tragedy occurred at Gawler, when James Robert Keats, aged 14, suddenly attacked with a knife Mrs P. Martin, with whom he was boarding. He killed her ,and smashed an air rifle over the head of her daughter, aged nine, w'ho had entered the room. Then he shot himself through the heart with a second rifle. The unexpectedness of the attack and its apparent lack of motive has baffled the police. As far as could be ascertained, the relations between Keats and the Martins were of the mostamicable nature. It appears that Keats,' in company with Merle Martin, left school to attend a football practice. On the way he told Martin that he had left at school a number of books which he would require for the home lessons that evening. Accordingly he turned back, apparently to revisit the school. Instead* of doing so he went home, and not long afterwards Patty Martin was seen running along the railway line screaming and bleeding from the head. Mrs Martin was found to have received 11 wounds on the left side, apparently inflicted by a sheath knife which was found in the room.

The girl so far has been unable to give any account of the occurrence.