A Woman Shot

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 277, 3 November 1924, Page 4

A Woman Shot

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT OAMARb. HUSBAND’S DEED. ASSAILANT SUICIDE. (Per Press Association.) Oamaru, Nov. 2. . A domestic tragedy occurred in CS.vde street. North Oamaru. about seven o’clock this morning. John Holmes, labourer aged 68, purchased a pea-rifle yesterday ostensibly for the purpose of shooting birds- Earl y this morning he left his room and went into a room occupied by his wife (aged 42) and discharged a bullet into her head behind th© «*ar. He then went back to hig own room, procured a razofr and severed his windpipe. V A four-year-old boy, who was sleeping in a cot in his mother’s room, was awakened bj’’the report of the gun and rushed screaming to alarm his elder brother, who was sleeping outside. After being shot the woman jumped through the window and staggered to a hut at tfie rear of the house, where she told her 18-year-old son that hi» father had shot her and asked him to go for the police and a doctor. She then collapsed on th© floor'* Tho boy ran to a neighbour’s anil summoned a doctor and afterwards serit for the police. Th© constables could not effect an entrance through the hack door, but climbed through a window. They found Holmes lying on a pillow in th© passage with his head against a door bleeding profusely from a terrible cash in the Ihroat. He >*tatefl that he had shot bis wife owing to certain domestic trouble, which he mentioned, and was sorry he had not made a job of himself. Tli© num and the woman wer© bnth removed to the puhl»c hospital. Thr woman’ is in a serious condition and not expected to recovei. but mHn. injuries may not prove fatal. Th* 1 couple have not been living on the best of terms lately and Holmes wa s siitfeting from a kidney complaint and insomnia. The constables found a rifle in the room occupied by Holmes with an empty cartridge. They also found a razor m a pool of blood on the floor Th© woman is Holmes’ second wife. She, has a family of three boys and.two girls, the eldest bov being 19. Thev had been married about 20 yeaYs. The police found a bank book in Holmes’ room and a letter to the Public. Trusted with instruction* *o the disposal of his property.