GREY LYNN TRAGEDY

Northern Advocate, 16 August 1933, Page 5

GREY LYNN TRAGEDY

TWO PEOPLE FOUND ON FLOOR ' WOMAN DIES OF INJURIES. MAN IN HOSPITAL, (Special to “Northern Advocate.") AUCKLAND, This Day. Meagre details only are so far available of the cause of the injuries received by a man and a woman who this afternoon wore removed to the Auckland Hospital from a house situated at 111 Crummor Road, Grey Lynn. The names are: — Mrs Christina Cunningham, whose husband is said to be a relief worker. I John Edwards, aged about 30. The discovery of the injured persons who, it. is believed, were the only occupants of the house at the time, was made by a daughter of Mrs Cunningham, who found them on the floor in the diningroom. Mrs Cunningham was suffering from head injuries and injuries to the throat, and Mr Edwards from throat injuries.

It is understood that Mrs Cunningham and Mr Edwards wore removed to the Auckland before the arrival of a party from police headquarters. Later Information is that Mrs Cunningham succumbed to her injuries. Edwards is reported to be in a serious condition.

Awful Discovery. A neighbour, Mr. P. G. Longley, who was working in his cabinetmaker’s shop next door, was attracted by the wild scratching of a black eat trying to get through the Cunningham’s diningroom window. This was just after midday. Two minutes later Miss Joyce Cunningham rushed into the Longley’s house crying: “Something dreadful has happened. Mother is lying in a pool of blood.’’ That was all she could say. Mr. Longley rushed into the Cunningham’s . house. “Mrs. Cunningham was lying in a pool of blood, unconscious,” ho said. “A man was sitting on a chair. He had a slash across his throat and another on his wrist. I rushed away and telephoned for a doctor, and soon Dr. Drury arrived. The man did not attempt to move.’ ’ When the police arrived shortly afterwards Edwards was lying on the floor of the diningroom. “It was a terrible experience for Miss Joyce Cunningham,” said Mrs. Longley. “Slu> had been out looking for a position/and on entering her homo found her mother dying. She told me that she had been to a dance last night, and on returning home late she noticed a man standing outside the house. He asked her if her father was in. Miss Cunningham said she opened the door and took the man into her father’s bedroom St the back I of the house. Joyce said the man talked to her father for a long time, sitting on the edge of the bed.” Mrs. Longley said Joyce had told her that her father had evidently got tired of the conversation and turned round to go to sleep. The man, she said, had apparently slept on the edge of the bod alongside her father for the rest of the night. In -the morning, according to Mrs. Longley, two of the Cunningham girls left to go to their work, a boy of 18 wont to school, Miss Joyce Cunningham, the eldest of the family, aged 22, went out to look for work, and some time during the morning Mr. Cunningham also left the house. Neighbours Heard Nothing. Apparently Mrs Cunningham and the man Edwards were alone together in the house. Neighbours on either side of the Cunningham home heard no sounds during the morning. The only incident which indicated that anything was amiss was the frightened appearance of the cat in the diningroom window.

It was stated that Mr. Cunningham arrived home shortly after his daughter had made the discovery. A bucket of water and scrubbing brush on the verandah indicated that Mrs. Cunningham had boen carrying out her ordinary household duties dur-

ing the morning. The house in which the tragedy happened is a single-storeyed one on the right-hand side of drummer Road, looking west, situated near Elgin Street intersection. It is of old design and is built well up to the footpath.

Neighbours said that the Cunninghams were quiet and retiring people and that little was known about, them, as they had lived in the district for onlv eleven months.