KILLED HIS BABIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 4 March 1926, Page 7

KILLED HIS BABIES

TWINS AOED THREE MONTHS

DEMENTED FARMER’S ACT

TERRIBLE STORY FROM CLEVEDON.

fBY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Maxell 4. A message from Clevedon states that Septimus Page, aged. 37, went off his head and cub the throats of his two babies, who were twins, three months old. He then, cut his own throat. The babies are dead.

It is not knowm whether Page is dean. He occupied a farm two miles out of Clevedon. The deed was committed during the absence of his wife, who arrived in town on a visit this morning.

Clevedon is on the coast. 2S miles south east of Auckland.

A FULLER ACCOUNT. PAGE HAD BEEN “FEELING QUEER.” POLICE HAVE WRITTEN STATEMENT. AUCKLAND, March 4. A terrible tragedy occurred at the Otau settlement between seven and eight o’clock this morning. Septimus Rage, living with his wife and children in a four-roomed house, killed his two infant children, a boy and a girl (twins), aged three months. The children had been left in charge of Miss Finn, aged aboiit 20, who was helping Mrs Page with household duties. Miss Finn was present when the father committed the terrible act, and she rushed across the paddock to the house of Mr James Calhoun, a returned soldier farmer living 500 yards away, and told him what had happened. f Mr Calhoun immediately informed Mr R. Quin, another soldier farmer nearby, and Constable Holland, .of Papakura. was communicated with. Messrs Quin and Calhoun went to the house, where they found the two children with their throats cut. and the father, who had slashed his throat with a razor, lying on the floor in a pool of blood. A doctor was summoned from Papakura. and attended Page, who, though weak from loss of blood, was able to get up, walk about and wash himself. Nurse Brodfe said to him, “Why did you do this terrible thing?” He replied, “I don’t know.” He said be had been feeling unwell for a long time, and had pains in his head. It is stated that at one time Page suffered from fits. Lately he has complained of feeling queer. The constable took Page to the Auckland Hospital in a motor car. He was looking very ill: Page is well respected in the district, and is said to be passionately fond of his children and devoted to his wife —an ideal husband and a hardworking man of abstemious habits. Before being taken to hospital. Page wrote a. confession which was taken by the constable.