The West Coast Tragedy.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 215, 14 November 1896, Page 4

The West Coast Tragedy.

LATER PARTICULARS. Details of the tragedy at Cobden, Greymoutb, on Monday evening, show that Gillingham returned to his home from the hospital bringing with him the corpse of an old friend (Andrew Sloss) to his resi- , denco, from whence the funeral was to ruove. After doing this he returned to Greytnouth to make necessary arrangements with the undertaker, and on re- j turning home about 6 o'clock he found his wife and Mrs Scalmar in a state of intoxication. He appears to have spoken rather sharply to them, stating that he would not allow drunkenness in his house. . Scalmar thereupon said the drink had been brought to them by his own daughter — a retort which Beems to have driven Gillingham into a Btate of perfect frenzy. He took Scalmar and thrust her out of the back door, and turning to one of the children, said " Where is the axe ? " He ran out into the back yard, and, bringing in a large sized American axe, rushed at his wife, who was helplessly drunk and a baby in her arms, and struck her with the back of the axe on the nose and mouth, knocking her senseless on the floor. His little girl rushed in and picked up the infant, Gillingham striking his wife two additional blows on the back. He then cried out : " Where is the other woman ? " and rushing out struck her on the back of the head, laying her scalp open. The little girl, in the meantime, rushed out of the house in terror. No sooner was the act committed than Gillingham appeared to realise the position. He went after his daughter and said : " Come in, I have killed them both." He proceeded in a methodical manner to prepare tea for his children. Some neighbors, hearing of the affair, came to the house, when Gillingham told them what he had done. His wife was found on the floor unconscious. Her nose and mouth were terribly smashed, while Scalmar was found in the back yard with a terrible gash on the back of her head, and unconscious. Upon the police arriving, Gillingham, who was almost in a state of collapse, said : " I exj pected you ; I was just coming over to give myself up." On tha way to the lockup he almost fainted, and had to be carried 'by the two constables. A terrible scene ' occurred when the police were taking the man away, women and children crowding round desiring to kiss and shake hands with Gillinghatn, who had always been known as a quiet, orderly, sober man, and was a general favorite in the locality. The police had great difficulty ia getting clear from the crowd. Upon being taken to the lock-up, Gillingham remarked that it was a terrible thing that he had done. It is generally supposed he was deranged at the time, and, maddened by the taunt that his daughter had supplied the drink, lost all control of himself. Gillingham was one of Sloss's executors, and it is affirmed that finding his wife and another woman drunk while the corpse was lying in his house tended to intensity the great strain on his nerves, and impelled him to commit the terrible crime. He was brought before two justices and remanded for eight days. Mrs Gillingham is now conscious, and is likely to recover, Mrs Scalmer, who was removed to the hospital, has also regained consciousness, but is in a very precarious condition. Her life, however, is not wholly despaired of.