THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16007, 25 February 1914, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

DEATH OF MRS THOMSON.

CORONKH'S INQUKST

(PlB UnIIKD I'HESB ASSOCIATIOK.) CJIRISTCHL'RCH, February 24. The adjourned inquest into the circumstances .surrounding the death of the late Hannah Thomson, the victim of the Durham .street tragedy, was continued tins afternoon before the Coroner (Mr 11. W. Bishop. Alexander Thomson, .son of the deceased, appeared in custody.

Senior Sergeant Mathesou gave evidence of going io the house in Durliarn street on Friday evening. Thomson made tho following statement to him: " 1 am a labourer. My mother's name is Hannah Thomson. 1 had an argument over some boot-laces with the man named Baxter, a labourer, who lived with my mother. Baxter has been. living with my mother and sleeping in the same room. The argument started over my boot-laces. Baxter started dictating to me about boots. I askod him what he had to do -with me. 1 came downstairs and asked him what ho meant, and he started going ' crook on me. Baxter made to strike at me, and I started to defend myself, and made a smack at him. I hit a chair in place of hitting him. He then tried to wrestle with me, and 1 made a smack at him. My mother stood in my road and received the blow. Baxter and my mother went out in the yard and to the washhouso. My mother fell down when I struck her. Blood stains on the lioor came from my mother when she was being carried in. Her age is 50 years." William Baxter, labourer, after describing the quarrel, said that Thomson's mother said something to her son, who began swearing and gave her a hit on the side of the face, and knocked her down. Witness was not within feet of Thomson at the time, so the blow could not have been meant for him. He was three or four yards away at the time. Mrs Thomson got up, and her son still continued his bad language, and hit his mother again, and knocked her down once more by the fireplace, she falling on the fender- and breaking a piece off the end. Her face was bleeding. When witness brought Mrs Thomson out of the bathroom into thj back yard Thomson said, " You keep out of the road, niotheT. His mother tried to pacify him, and said there was nothing to quarrel about. Thomson said, " Shut up, or I'll give you another clout." He did hit her again with his open hand, and knocked her down again in the yard. Mrs Thomson fell on the ground, and witness picked her up. Ho did not think she was seriously hurt, and went inside to get a teapot to make tea. Mrs Thomson could stand by herself at that time. Witness heard Thomson swearing at his mother, and came out again. He saw Thomson make another blow at his mother and knock her down on a wooden case that was standing near by. Witness noticed furious bleeding coming from underneath Mts Thomson's clothing. Witness took her into the bathroom, and offered to wash her, but Mrs Thomson, said, "1 don't think so." He showed Thomson the blood running down his mother's leg, and said, " I think you have just about done for your poor mother now." Thomson took no heed of what witness said, and never answered. Mrs Thomson died soon after.

The Coroner returned a verdict " that deceased, Hannah Thomson, on the 20th dav of February, -114, cat Christchurch, did die from hemorrhage caused by rupture of a varicose vein, due to falling against a sharp substance, the said fall being caused by a blow from her son, Alexander Thomson."

The accused was remanded until Saturday. At the conclusion of the hearing of the inquest Miss Wright, accused's young lady, fainted away, and had to be attended to by the officials of the court.