A SON MURDERS HIS FATHER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 76, 2 April 1901, Page 3

A SON MURDERS HIS FATHER.

THE FORBES' TRAGEDY.

The Sydney papers contain additional particulars of the terrible tragedy near Forbes, in New South. Wales, when El-win Richards, aged about 25, shot Ms father and mother, and then blew his own brains out. Richards, on reaching home between ten and eleven o'clock at night, fed his horse, and went straight to his lather's bedroom and shot him dead with a gun, and then shot his mother with a small rifle. He afterwards shot himself with a gun. He \yas an only son, but he had seven sisters. The tragedy is all the more unaccountable owing to the affection ■which always existed among the family. The father and mother's intense affection for their son was fully reciprocated. Richards was engaged to bo married shortly. He spent the day at home with his family, and came to Forbes in the evening with some friends, who had been spending the day at Grawlin. He returned home between ten and eleven o'clock, and when passing his parents' room his father called out, " Good-night, my son, are you cold ? " The son an swered, "Will you light your lamp?" Mrs Richards then got out of bed and lighted the lamp, and as she was opening the doou. her son- rushed past her and shot his father dead witJi a shot gun as he sat up in bed. Mrs Richards then struggled with her son, and being thus prevented from shooting her with the gun he struck her over the hoad with the butt, breaking the stock. He then picked up a pea rifle and fired at his mother. The pellet entered her back, and lodged in her lung. • Richards then went to his sister's room, where his second sister met him; He had meanwhile obtained another gun, and tried twice to fire this at her, but the gun missed fire. His sister struggled with him and overpowered him, whereupon he said he would spare her as she was " a regular Briton," but she mtist give up her sisters. She led Richards to believe that they had all rushed off into the bush. He then asked her to shoot him. She refused, and he said he must shoot himself, He went to look for his favorite hprsp, with the intention of shooting it, but could not find it. His sister again met him, and he told her she could have the horse. He afterwards again went to his parents' room, and looking in, he called out that he loved them so dearly that he could not bear them to remain behind to bear his shame and disgrace. He then went to the tennis court, and placing the muzzle of the gun in his mputh blew thp top of his head off. Jt is considered that something was preying on his mind, and that he must have gone suddenly insane, as he and his parents were on particularly affectionate terms. It is thought from his actions that he intended to murder the whole family, jj&4 Jie»Qff been frustrated, by his sister.