DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15273, 13 October 1911, Page 5

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Ml'llDEl! AND SUICIDE. SENSATION AT TOLA* 10 KAY. . il'Kii (JxiTp.n Press Association - .) (iISHOUNK, October 12. A shocking tragedy occurred at Tolago Hay >ib mills up the East Coast) this alte'imon about lialf-pasl. 2, a young man named William Rcid cutting his wife's throat, with a razor olid subsequently taking his own life bv the same means.

Heid, who was truly about 20 years of age, was employed as stableman at the Te.lago Iktv Hotel, and his wife was employed mi the hotel as laundress.

Firm details to hand so far it lias been ascertained that Mr Elliott, the. licensee cf the hotel, was working in a yard. About '2.30 lie was called by bis sister, who h id been altracicd by Mrs Heid coming down the stairs with a dreadful wound ill her throat. Mr Elliott hurried inside, ami found Mrs Keid lying at the foot of (•!:.:• stairs bk'eding to death. She had ttishi'ij d:nvn from her bedroom, presumably after her husband had cut her thvoat, ami «lu> expire:! at tlie foot of tlie Mail's in Mr Elliott's presence. The lkers-.o then went upstairs to the servants' quarters in tlie wing of the bnildinj*. wheio lit; found (ho lni?bnn:l lying' on the llnor of the bidroun with a terrible gash acrisss his throat. Near bv was a bli-od-sUiino.l razor, with which the deed was committed. Mr Elliott, arrived in the room just in time to see Rcid expire. Dr Weeks was immediately summoned, and arrivivl within 10 minutes, but he ■pronounced life to be extinct in both cafes

The affair :n quite inexplicable, as. alf'lmngli the couple had had minor quarrels, nothing of a violent nature had so far as is known come between them. Both had the reputation o( being good workers, and (hose wlio knew I'eid best say he w-is a quiet, sober young fellow, and by no means a man 'like.lv to do murder. Mm lieid'n father and mother live in Tola.go Hay. The couple were iiwrricd at Fkotahuua about thivc yea is ago, and there is one child about' two voars old.

j\l)i::il. a ftirtnijiht Reid. while fnlUvinj; lim ccaipation. wrenehed his knee, and frinee itn-n 'was jnorw or less laid up! ependini* !i yo,xl deal of his time on his hrd. This arnmnta fur his pi-f----eenee in the iwm ;it tint time of the dav.

An c&imiinUattn of the Ixxlics showed iliat Mm Held h;i,d n deep i;nsh on one side of h-.T thmat. while Keid, who evifto.sil in front of t.!ic mirror to lake I'is'iWii lilo, had nhuiwt severed hi.< h.'ad from his fiodv, (iieat gloom has h.-en east, over the 'township as a result of the tragedy. An inquest will he k'lil to-morrow.