THE GONVILLE TRAGEDY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 February 1932, Page 5

THE GONVILLE TRAGEDY.

inquest on the victims

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WANGANUI, Friday. The inquest has opened on the victims of the Gouvillo tragedy of Monday night, the victims being Violetta .Fiances Gray, aged 35, and Violet Erica her daughter, aged 15. The evidence disclosed that Mrs Gray had, prior to the tragedy, been attended by Dr. Cooke for a minor ailment, but made a good recovery. On Monday .she went to the city and did some shopping as it was her birthday. She bought a saucepan and two blade razors. Returning homo she went straight to bed. Shortly before 10 o’clock sho asked her husband to go for the doctor, remarking that she could not stand the pain much longer. During the absence of the husband the tragedy was ■CQ(mimittC'dl. On returning he ("found the eldest girl, Joan, standing at the door; she remarked, “Mummy is dead and has killed Paddy.” Mrs Gray was lying in the hall on her back in a pool of blood and the little girl was dead in bed. Deceased’s nerves had been upset at the time of the Nelson earthquake although she had always appeared to bo normal.

Joan Cooper, aged 12 years, said she heard her mother go outside and later come into witness’s bedroom jumping and dancing. She had a razor in her hand and made for witness and ‘cut her neck. She then attacked Violet .who <was asleep. She saw her mother cut Violet’s throat and made repeated efforts to save her sister, but her mother cut witness on the left hand. Her mother exclaimed, “I cannot help it, tell Daiddy I am .sorry.” Witness fan out on to the verandah. Her Another then came out of the bedroom into the passage and cut her throat. A verdict was returned that the death of the little girl, was due to haemorrhage caused by a .severance of the carotid artery, the wound being indicted by her mother while in a state '‘of unsound mind and that the death of the mother was due to haemorrhage caused Iby a severance of the carotid •artery, * the wound being inflicted by herself while in a state of temporary insanity.