SHOCKING TRAGEDY NEAR TIMARU.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7007, 2 May 1884, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY NEAR TIMARU.

WIFE MURDER AND SUICIDB. [BY TELEGBAPH.—PKESS Ai^SOCIATIOX.J

:- Tisl&bu, Thursday. - The inhabitants of Temaka were horrified yesterday by the news that a shocking murder and suicide had -; been committed in the morning. The news at once took definite shape, for the: facts were few and simple. Mr. Charles Garland, licensee of the Arowhenua Hotel had shot his wife, and then shot himself, death in both cases being instantaneous. The news quickly reached Timarn, and the Herald despatched a special reporter to the ecene. Tne following are the tnaia facts learned by him :— About daylight yesterday morning deceased arose, and slipped on hi« drpssing gown, proceeded np stairs and called his man servant. After receiving an answer he was heard to go down stairs again, and before the servant had fnlly dressed two reports of fire-arms were heard. Aβ it is not daylight till about six o'clock at this season of the year, and the man being positive that the 'dawn, was just breaking, it is concluded that the time the reports were heard would be between a qu.ucer and half-past six. The man servant and t.ho womon servants paid no immediate attention to the occurrence, though more than one admit that they were a bit frightened. On one of the servants going to the loom with some coffee for her mistrese, as she had beeu in the habit of doing, about half-past seven o'clock, she was rather snrprised and startled to find that the bedroom door wa» locked, and still more startled on observing emuke issuing from the key-hole and round the door, the smoke smelling like burned gunpowder. She immediately called up her companions, and it was decided to send for the police, and not to break into the room themselves. A messenger was accordingly despatched to Temuka, and on arriving at the police station he informed Constable Mortou, the officer in charge, as well as he could, of the circumstances surrouoding the melancholy .affair. Constable Morton went out at once, first sending for Dr. Hayes, and both arrived at the house about the same hour. They at once broke in the door of Mr. Garland's bedroom, and one of tho ghastliest scenes ever witneised presented itself to their horrified view. On the fleor, at the foot of the bed lay on It 3 right aide the body of Mr. Garland and on the bed that of Mrs. Garland. Mr. Garland was first looked to. On raising the body it was Been that the right side of the face was blown away by a gunshot. Underneath the body lay the weapon with which the terrible deed had been accomplished, a doublebarrelled breach-loading fowling piece. The wound was of such a nature that death muit have been instantaneous, and the position in which the body was found showed that it was so. The deceased wae dresaed only in his night-ehirt, drawers, and dressing gown. In the bed she had slept in, covered with the bedclothes, lay the body of Mrs. Garland, with a fearful wound in the back oi the head, visible to those entering the room. In her case, too, death must have beer instantaneous, the. whole of the upper aide of the head being blown away. On examining the gun, a plait or coil bi Ealse hair was.found fastened to the triggerguard with a loop, which was found round the left foot of the inan. The bed and the rooni generally, as may be imagined, presented a sickening appearance. Actually how the deed was done can only be surmised, but everything points to the aupposition that the man deliberately ihot his wife as she slept, placing the muzzle 61 the gun close to her head and af terwarde fixing the loop of hair to the trigger, destroyed himself, by firing' off the second barrel with his foot. Dr. Hayes having examined the bodies and pronounced life extinct, Constable Morton made a search for anything that would throw light on this painful catastrophe, and in one of the oockets of the deceased's coat, found the following letter, which", however, throws no light upon the Motive of the.deed. The letter, whioh was in an unfautened envelope, addressed to " Mr. Bloom," and Constable

Morton knowing that Inspector Broham Had been acquainted Witt Mr.' Garland, in Christohurch, and supposing it intended for laapector Brohain, sent it into Timaru. The letter is as follows :— April 30.—Mr. Broom: Sir, — This letter is to let roil know tlmt I did this act of injustice to my wife, and myself, an d my children, and God, and mar God forgive me. There is £40 in the cish box which belongs to Mr*. Sainton, mv sister, ana a cheque on the B*nk of New Zealand, Ghristehnrch, for money I huTe pat in the Bank of Hew Zealand with my own -iccouni, belongs to Mrs. Swinton, and I wish that money (£7O) paid to lira. Swinton at once. There i> cUOin'ihe Bank of New Zealand to my account, and I wish it to be piid over to my brother, Henry G.irland, or to eeo my children right according to iiw, and Mr. Holme*, my solicitor, to act with my nrother, so that my chilnreu get what belonjs to me. I! tbere U anything else, sell -li you can, >iivide it between the four children—three boys and one girl— tow alive. Let them all have the sane, if what is written down by me is not rliht according to law, the -*r nn«' nut ic right for my fonr children.^-Joan Garland. It ;.i said that Mr. Garland received a telegram that a tenant of a property in Christchurch belonging to trim had failed, in coneeqneuce of which Mr. Garland would 10-.o £400 '>r £500. This seemed to trouble him somewhat, but not very serionsly, and it certainly seems insufficient to furnish s ■nqtive for so terrible a crime. There, is some talk of domestic unhappiness as the probables cause, but thore is no information on this point. Garland was a native of Jersey, and had been in the colony abont eleven years. He formerly had the Railway Hotel at Christchurch.