RAZOR DOES DEADLY WORK

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3287, 5 March 1926, Page 7

RAZOR DOES DEADLY WORK

FATHER SLASHES TWIN BABIES

Completes Tragedy by Catting Own Throat

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT OTAU SETTLEMENT

A message from Clevcdon states that Septimus Page, aged 37, went off his head, cut the throats of his two babies, who were twins ,three months old, and then cut his own throat. The deed was committed fiurtng the abence of his wife, on a visit to Auckland, 20 miles away.

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 4

A terrible tragedy occurred at Otau settlement between seven and eight o’clock this morning.

Septimus Page, who was living with his wife and children in a four-room-ed 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 about 20, who helps Mrs. Page with the household duties.

Miss Finn was present when the father committed the terrible act. She rushed across the padodek to the house of Mr. James Calhoun, a returned soldier farmer living 500 yards away, and told him what had happened. Calhoun immediately informed Mr. R. Quinn, another soldier farmer nearby, and Constable Holland at Papakura was apmmunicated with. Messrs. Quinn and Calhoun went to the house, where they found the two children with their throats cut. Tho father, who had slashed his throat with a razor, was 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 Brodie said to him: “Why did you do this terrible thing?” Ho replied; “X don’t know.” He said he 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 had complained of feeling queer. The constable took Page to the Auckland Hospital in a motor-cair. Pace was then looking very ill.

Page was well respected in the district. He is said to have been passionately fond of his two children and devoted to his wife: an ideal husband and a hard-working man of abstemious hehifs, ,

Before roing to the hosnital Pago ■wrote a confession, which was taken by the constable.