GHASTLY TRAGEDY

NZ Truth, Issue 985, 11 October 1924, Page 7

GHASTLY TRAGEDY

Wife Shockingly Mutilated

HUSBAND ATTEMPTS SUICIDE

Clash of May and December,

When a piercing scream rang through Victoria Avenue, Remuera, at 6 o'clock on Sunday evening last it was found that a terrible tragedy had been enacted. A woman was found lying m the middle of the street dead, with her throat cut from ear to car, while alongside her was her husband, a gash m his throat, half conscious, and with a razor lying an inch or two'away from his hand. The couple were shortly identified as a Mr. and Mrs. James Simpkin, and from exhaustive inquiries made by a "Truth" rep. it appears that the gruesome tragedy was the climax or anti-climax to a life of domestic discord illustrating the incompatibility of a union of December with May. The Simpkins were married some nine years ago and there are two boys of the marriage, one aged four years- and the other two. The parties, when they were married, were happy for a time, but afterwards disagreements crept m and of late they had not been living as man and wife. There is a difference of a quarter of a century m their ages. On her marriage nine years ago Mrs. Simpkin was only 1!) years of age. At the time of the tragedy Mrs. Simpkin was residing with her parents m Mfinawa Road, which is a stone's throw from the scene of the murder, while her husband, who was recently operated on m the Auckland Hospital, from which institution he was discharged a week ago, had stayed with relatives m Newton Road. It is known that Mr. and Mrs. Simpkin had made an appointment to meet on Sunday evening at the fatal hour, m order to talk over thei differences, it being- understood that Mrs. Simpkin had found it impossible to reside with her husband on account of alleged ill-treat-ment. Accordingly, the woman left the home of her parents to meet her husband, and, as it proved, her unexpected and awful death. FATHER'S GRUESOME DISCOVER f. Mr. William Ross, father of the deceased, who is a gardener at Remuera, watched his daughter walk up Manawa Road to meet her husband on Victoi ia Avenue, and he has indicated that there was a decided feeling of fear on the part of his daughter. He watched Mrs. Simpkin until he saAV her meet her husband, and they walked off together. Very soon afterwards the woman's mother said she heard some--, one scream, but the father dismissed it as the noise made by some boys playing m the vicinity. Then a tram car was seen to stop at an unusual place, and this drew attention to the read. Mr. Ross went up to see whatwas the matter. On reaching the main road, he was confronted with the indescribably ho.'riiying sight of his daughter 'lyingdead, and his son-in-law lying beside her m the positions described. Police and medical aid were at once summoned, and the body of the woman was removed to the morgue, while the man was taken to the hospital m a critical condition. ' The wound m the throat of the man stretched to within a sixteenth of an inch of the jugular vein. When the belongings of the man were searched there were found on him. the sum of £15 m money and an empty razor case. It is learned that Mrs. Simpkin received a letter from her husband written on the date of the tragedy and though the contents have not been disclosed it is believed to have been couched m passionately affectionate terms m an attempt at reconciliation. At the time of writing Simpkin is still m a serious condition, but since his admission to the hospital has shown improvement. Nevertheless his recovery is problematical. The deceased woman is the second wife of the injured man, there being a family of three by the first wife. Their ages are 21, 14 and 12. Simpkin is a bush contractor and last worked' for "the Kauri Timber Co. m the Thames district. '