A TRAGEDY AT BLACKFRIARS STATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TRAGEDY AT BLACKFRIARS STATION.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.

A remarkable tragedy occurred at Blackfriars underground railway station a few days ago. While many hundreds of passengers were leaving two men, well dressed, and apparently "belonging to the middle classes, accompanied by a lady, became the centre of attraction. ■ No one took particular notice of them until they reached the top of the staircase which leads from the platform to the corridor, communicating at one end with the street 'and at the other with the narrow subway which connects St. Paul's Station with the District Railway. Arrived at the head of the stairs, the younger man stepped back a pace, then rushed at the lady who was with him, and, raising a revolver, fired point blank at the lady. Mrs. Elizabeth Bunting, who is the sister-in-law of the assailant, "Arthur Bunting, and the wife of the man who was with them, Hubert Bunting (the two men being brothers), ran with her husband towards the exit. The man immediately fired another shot, and Mrs. Bunting staggered, and half fell against the wall of the passage, while her husband, , who had been taken entirely unawares by the suddenness of the occurrence, rushed up to his wife's fainting figure, and, catching her in his arm?, carried her in the direction of the Queen Victoria-street entrance to the St. Paul's Station, Another shot rang out, and Mis. Bunting was again hit. Being evidently under the impression that ho had killed Mrs. Bunting Arthur Bunting evidently placed the muzzle of the revolver against his own body, just beneath the region of the heart, and fired. He was terribly injured ; but, catching sight of the still moving figure of his sister-in law, half supported by her husband, he regained his feet, and. leaving a trail of blood behind him, followed Mr and Mrs. Bunting, who, by that time, had disappeared inside St. Paul's Station.

A number of the station officials, alarmed by the sound of pistol shots, had meanwhile rived on the scene, and they attempted, without avail, however, to secure the assailant, who, again perceiving Bunting and his wife before they had left the station precincts fired another shot in their direction, missing them both. A ticket collector and one of the spectators of what had occurred pursued the would-be murderer as far as the waiting-room, into which they thought lie had retreated, and seeing a man leaning against the door, which was shut, they forced it open, only to find that the" object of their pursuit had gone in another direction and had gained Queen Vic-toria-street. Again taking up the chase, the two men made for the main entrance, arriving there just in time to see Bunting fire aimlessly into the air. and then fall lifeless upon the street " refuge" in the middle of the road. Mr. and Mrs. Bunting were found later in the entrance of Spiers and Pond's, whither they had retreated after the firing of the third shot. The injured woman was in a complete state of collapse, bleeding profusely from two terrible wounds in the middle region of the back, and rapidly nearing unconsciousness. 'With all speed a cab was procured, and Mrs. Bunting was taken, supported in net husband's arms, to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where, after examination by the house surgeon on duty, she was placed in one of the beds of the casualty ward. She is progressing favourably. The deceased man was placed in a second cab. and also taken to the hospital, where his body was placed in the mortuary to await an inquest.

THE HUSBAND'S STOUT. The circumstances of the tragedy were related to a press representative by Mr. Hubert Bunting, of Fulham, husband of the injured lady.

"My wife,'' said Mr. Bunting, "spent the whole of the day in London with her sister, who had coma on a visit from Brightlingsea. After doing "some shopping she accompanied her sister to.Liverpool-street Station, where, after seeing her off by the half-past five train, she met my brother. She was surprised at finding him there, as he had no means of knowing her arrangements, but she acceded to his request, and allowed him to accompany her to Blackfriars Station, where it had been arranged I should wait for her on the, platform and accompany her home. She and my brother had nearly reached the bottom of the staircase leading to the platform when 1 caught sight of them. I had cause for feeling extremely surprised at finding them together, for I turned him out of my house last Wednesday, and forbade him ever to speak to Nancy (my wife) again. As soon as I saw them I walked up to my wife and said, ' How is this? I have told you before, as I tell you now, that I won't allow you to be seen with this man. Come with me, and we will go homo in a cab.' As I said this I looked at my brother, and I saw his right hand go stealthily down to his trousers pocket, feeling about for something inside. I blew instantly what he was going to do, and I da-shed forward towards my wife, who was about two vards away from me. At the same moment I saw him steadily raise his arm. and simultaneously a flash and a report followed. I felt nothing, however, and, grasping my wife's arm, I began to run with her towards St. Paul's Station, shouting to her. ' Come, Nancy, come. We roust run for our lives.' Before she had time to turn he fired again, and she put her hand to her breast and moaned, 'Oh! Jack, I'm shot!' I caught her up in my arms, and again he fired, and I. felt her start and shudder as another bullet hit her in the buck. Still running I heard his footsteps behind me. and I dashed up the staircase leading to St. Paul's, into the station, and out at the main entrance, across Vic-toria-street and into Spiers and Pond's trade entrance. Just as I got inside I heard another shot from the street, and a policeman who had been standing outside came to mo and said, 'He'll trouble nobody anymore. He's dead.' I put my poof wife upon a chair, and then someone fetched a cab and I went with her to the hospital. This morning, when my wife opened her eyes, I said to her. ' Nancy, what was the cause of this?' She just had strength to reply, ' lie was jealous of you living with mo. Jack. He gave me five seconds to stay witii -on or to come and live with him.'" Mr. and Mrs"! Hubert Bunting have resided for over two years at 14, Firth Gardens Fulhani, where Arthur had lived with them for the last twelve months. Mr. Hubert Bunting is a photographer. His brother Arthur was a builder's foreman, and he recently had been unemployed. Quite lately, however, lie had again got into work, and Ins brother, in consequence of some domestic friction, had intimated that it would be desirable I'm- him to obtain accommodation elsewhere. Mr. Bunting had himself a most remarkable escape from being murdered. After the affray he felt for his"pocket-knife in his right-hand waistcoat pocket. He found come hard substance attached to the knife, and was amazed to find a bullet fixed to the top of one of the blades. Examining his coat he found a ragged hole just above Ji.3 breast pocket, and a tear upon the front of the waistcoat. Some books and papers inside his pocket had been perforated by the missile, which had struck oho of the waistcoat bill ions. _ At the inquest on Arthur Bunting the jury returned a verdict <,f " Fe] o de se."