STARVATION TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7446, 22 May 1911, Page 7

STARVATION TRAGEDY

AT NORTH SYDNEY FATHER, MOTHER, AND SON FOUND DEAD. By Telegraph—Prose Association—Copyright (Received May 21, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 21. A discovery containing all tho dements of the deepest tragedy was made at a house in North Sydney to-day, when tho dead bodies of a whole family—father mother, and son aged eight—were found. All were lying on their hacks close together, and a bottle which had evidently contained poison was near the bodies. The police think the parents murdered the then committed suicide. Their name is supposed to be Basterd, and it is thought they were recent arrivals from Now Zealand. Tho house was bare of furniture, and tho family had been, it is believed, in great financial difficulties. This is supposed to have led to tho enacting of tho tragedy. FURTHER PARTICULARS. (Received May 22, 1 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 21. The victims of the North Sydney tragedy are Segar Stafford Basterd, chemist, his wife Evalyn, and their son. They came from Wellington or Auckland. Tho man was out of work, and the family were absolutely destitute. Basterd wrote to tho police asking them to coma and remove the bodies, as they were taking prussic acid.

A COLLIERY DISPUTE EXCESSIVE FREIGHTS ALLEGED THROUGH FAULTY SCALES. fly Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyrighl SYDNEY, May 20. Owing to a dispute between the Cobar Copper Company and the Railway Commissioners one colliery at Lithgow has been shut down, and unless the dispute is settled in a few days other works, involving the suspension of 10,000 men, will also he closed. Tho company alleges that owing to f aulty scales the Commissioners charged excessive freights, which they refused to pay. The Commissioners now decline to handle goods except on a cash basis.