TRAGEDY AT OTAKI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17942, 22 May 1920, Page 9

TRAGEDY AT OTAKI.

MAN FATALLY STABS HIS DAUGHTER.

THEN TAKES HIS OWN LIFE.

(Pkb United Pbkss Association.) WELLINGTON, May 21. A distressing tragedy occurred at Otaki lost night. From such particulars as hava been obtained by telephone, it appears that at about 9.30, a man named M'Fall, a widower, with four daughters, a labourer by occupation, booame ongaged in nn argument witli his nineteen-year-old daughter! Olive.

A brisk intorchAng© of words was overheard by a married daughter. Tho father's tdncs were more in tho nature of heated controversy than violent anger, and tlia cause of the trouble appeared to bo ft letter which he demanded, and wihwh ah© refused to surrender.

The girl, it ia said, remonstrated, and suddenly was heard to emit a loud cry and to exclaim: "Oh 1 father, you have stabbed me." Immediately afterwards a fall was! heaTd, and when the married daughter l rushed into the room she was horrified "ia find both her father and sister in extremis. Both died a short time afterwarda

The evidence suggests that the father, iq stress of anger, seized a sharp thin instrument—probably a hat pin—and _ made al thrust at the girl, piercing her in such a vital spot as to cause almost instant death. It is presumed that, horrified at his deed, the_ man seized a razor and cut his throat, inflicting a fearful gash. The tragedy was reported to the local police by a married daughter, and they were quickly on tho scene, but were too late to ,bo of any assistance, tho victims of the quarrel and' the tragedy being quite dead. It is understood that M'Fall had been a widower for 6omo years.

LEVIN, May 2L Acoording to information reo&ved here, M'Fall callod his daughter ,to .him and stabßed her twice in the chest with a butcher's knife, and then cut has own throat. Both died * immediately. It is understood that a serious charge wafl pending against M'FalL