TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11798, 30 July 1900, Page 2

TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

A MAN MURDERS HIS WIFE' AND

SHOOTS HIMSELF.

A terrible domestic tragedy occurred, in Paris street, Brunswick, Victoria, on the 16th inst. John Pridmore (48), a labourer, shot his wife, Annie Pridmore, dead with a revolver ; then he fired at himself without immediate effect. A son who was at home rushed in and grappled with him, but so resolutely and desnerately did the father struggle that he wrenched the revolver back from his son, and fired a second shot at his own head immediately falling to the ground. He now' lies m Melbourne Hospital with two bullets "i his head. According- to the information obtainable, the tragedy grew out of domestic differences of long-standing. Pridmore did' not reside with his wire, who had for some time been living with her children, most of whom were able to earn money. Pridmore, it is stated, had been away in the country for several months until Friday last. He returned to Melbourne that day, and went to stay with a sister, who also lives at Brunswick.

won? t tv.m, ormnS. of the tragedy Pridmore went to the house in Davis street, where Mrs Pridmore lived with her children. He gained access by a side door which opened to the kitchen. When he arrived, Mrs Pridmora was up and about her duties. The daughter Louisa and one son had gone to their work as usual. John Pridmore, who is a gripman in the employ of the Tramway Company, arid Henry, another son, and a cripple, were in the back bedroom. ..£s nearly as can be ascertained these two eons "were aroused shortly after 10 by hearing two shots in the kitchen. _ Jumping: from his bed, John rushed to the kitchen and found his father, a wild look on his face, with a revolver in his hand m the kitchen,, and his mother lying on the floor, close to tho door which leads into the passage. By this time Henry had reached the scene, and one of the sons alleges that he heard his father exclaim,'"My God, I have done it; she has betrayed me these last three years. Saying this he pointed tho revol-' ver at his own head and fired. He was about to lire at himself again when John, who by this time had come in, rushed and closed with him. Before the revolver could be wrested ironi the hands of Pridmore, who struggled , violently, he managed to shoot himself again,' awu dr °PPed Sa3pi"S on the floor. ' \\ hen the police, who had been warned l>y John of the terrible occurrence, arrived, they found the kitchen in a state of disorder. ■ I here was blood on the floor in several places, and John Pridmore was still bleeding from a wound in his head. The wife was quite dead - It was apparent that she had been shot in the , back of the head, most likely on making for the., floor, when she knew her husband was in " the house. . ■ . .•. . . ".

Pridmore was quite unconscious, and his condition being precarious, he was sent at °? c* tn'Melbourne Hospital. When he arrived there he was in a semi-conscious condition. There was a nasty bullet wound in ins forehead, and marks close by, which-may nr may not have been caused by another bui-

In a statement made by John this afternoon, ho saya that about 10 o'clock this morning he was Awakened by hearing, his father call out, 'Where's John?" But he paid no particular notice at the time. However he heard a revolver shot, and jumped out of bed and ran towards the kitchen, in which it seemed that the first shot had been fir.cd Before he reached the room Heuiy Pridmore had got in, and his father had fired a revolver into his own head, then he turned on Henry and fired point blank at him. The bullet missed its mark, and John jumped forward and seized the revolver.. which fell'on the uoor. His mother was lying in the passage dead, and her husband fell near her John then rushed off to the poli6e station. He could not account for. his father's act. and said that lie had not'shown' any malicious feehncf which would lead to the supposition that he contemplated such a dreadful deed ' as that he had perpetrated.