TRIPLE TRAGEDY AT WOOD GREEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8812, 27 February 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

TRIPLE TRAGEDY AT WOOD GREEN.

Early on January 11 the neighbourhood of Bowes Park, Wood Green, was thrown into a state of great excitement by the discovery that a tragedy had been enacted in the Myddelton Road. It appears that for some time past there resided at No. 1, Bijou Villas, Myddelton Road, a Francis Weare, a jeweller, aged 05 ; Eliza Weare, his wife, aged 29 ; and a son three years old. On Saturday all three went out, and returned about half-past eight p.m., when they were seen and spoken to by a Mrs. Wood, who resided next door. On the Sunday ib was noticed by several of the neighbours that the blinds were down all day, and when some workmen went to the house on Monday morning they were unable to obtain admission, no one answering the door. About 11 a.m. Mrs. Root, the mother of Mrs. Weare, arrived from Stratford, and she also, after a continuous knocking, failed to make anyone hear. Her suspicions being aroused, she fetched Inspector Barnett from Wood Green Police Station, who broke the kitchen window and effected an entrance. Ongoing upstairs the inspector found the front bedroom locked, with the key in the lock inside. The door was forced open, and the body of Mrs. Weare was then discovered lying on the bed as if asleep, but quite dead. By her side, but with his head covered with a pillow, was Weare, and on the pillow being removed it, was seen that he was also dead. On searching the room further Inspector Barnett discovered the child in a cot with his head covered with a pillow and quite dead. Drs. Hocken and Wilde were sent for, and they, after a minute examination, gave it as their opinion that death in each case was due to poisoning. On a chair by the side of the bed was a glass which contained some liquid, and on a table in the room were two tumblers containing a portion of dark fluid, which was removed for analytical purposes. There is little doubt that Weare was impelled to the murder of his wife and child and his own suicide by great pecuniary difficulties. Under the direction of Sub-divisional-inspector Barnett, the police were on Jan. 12 busily engaged, and sufficienb has been ascertained do make ib clear that Weare's mind had become unhinged through monetary troubles. Ho is reported to have been a singularly ingenious and clever craftsman. He was by trade a jeweller, and maker of watches and scientific instruments, and took the greatest interest in his work. Ho transacted all his business in a small work-place fitted up at the rear of his house. The deceased man seemed to have had almost a mania for invention. A good deal of his time was taken up with the designing and working out of various novel instruments, one of the lasb being a self-recording thermometer especially adapted for sick rooms and other places where an even temperature is needed. Models and plans for musical boxes and money-boxes worked on the automatic principle were also discovered at his place, and it is stated that not very long ago he designed and constructed a watch which gained a prize at a Continental exhibition. \Veare apparently derived but scanty reward for his ingenuity, and had got into financial straits. According to evidence, ab present possessed by the authorities, the parties were on very good terms. Weare is believed to have been very well connected, and some of his relatives are said to be at. present travelling on the Continent. The uost-mortem examination on the bodies whs concluded on Jan. 14. In the stomach cf each of the victims there was the smell oi prussic acid. The examination of the child clearly proved thafc death was due to suffocation, yet on opening the lad's stomach there was a distinct smell of prussic acid. The stomachs of the victims have been sealed up, and will be handed over to the police to be forwarded to Dr. Tidy, the Government analyst.