AN AUCKLAND TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18556, 17 May 1922, Page 5

AN AUCKLAND TRAGEDY

MOTHER AND FOUR CHILD* | REN DROWNED. 1 " v - J FATHER’S SAD HOMECOMING. | *■“ _ ..^3* : .'y AN EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENING, 3 (Pie UirrriD Pbkss 'Absocxatiox.) AUCKLAND, May 16l James Arthur Thornton, residing in Gar- J den road, Epsom, on returning from work in the city, at about 10 o’clock laslj-l night, found his wife and four children—| boy of seven years, a girl of .four boy of two years, and an infant, of six t ; months —drowned in the bath. ' : Vv.’wt 3 James Thornton, a foreman the railways, left hie wife and .chfidrenA** .= home about 12.30 (mid-day) yesterday,;EU A being in ordinary health and spirits. •-Re- r turnmg home after work, he found both 'the front and back doors locked and the gaa alight in the breakfast room. Getting no response to his knocking, he burst open th*,| front door and found his wife naked in tjm-a bath, with the infant child on her breast—both dead. The bath was empty of water,vf probably through the woman’s feet -dislodge J mg the plug. . • i Ascertaining that life was extinct, Tboro*;; ton looked tor the. other three caOdrah/'i and found all dead in bed in the bedroom facing the bathroom. Each w»#’v wrapped in a separate sheet, the hair of > each saturated with water, and. frothy w»* I oozing from their mouths. ■ _ • i The theory is that the mother’ stripped each child and drowned it in. the; bath,- v then wrapped each in a sheet, laid the body on the bed, and pulled the bed-clothes ova f fjj it. There were no other signs of idolooCOy on the bodies. . .... ■*> Within shout 10 minutes of his arrival home and awful discovery Thornton aroused J the neighbours with his terrible Rory. To* J police were communicated with- aiuk-a' doo» ; .'j tor called. -•- ’ a Most of the wife’s clothing was’-fonod hung over the door of the bathroom,- and ; the clothing of the children was lying-on p the table in tha kitchen. : _ ; « Apparently the last any of the neighboursf saw of the family was at 5 o’dock in 1 afternoon, /' i The house is a five-roomed dwelling, :j owned by Mrs Thornton. It is well fnW'; nished and spotlessly clean. Everything; was in order, and there was nothing .?&> ( indicate in the least degree that. there.’ bad been any straggle or disturbance pseoedoWj the tragedy. ... .U* 7 *'' 1 -! An inquest was opened oaf ore Sar-r oyn-< ton, S.hh, this afternoon. James Thornton, husband of the -doconstd.;s said he was married nine years: ■ ago;‘ ■' Hwjp wife was bom in Donegal (Ireland), anai had been in New Zealand 16 yeara ' sum's usually had good health. WitaessTaat 'Sajfc her at 12.30 p.m. yesterday. dren were there then. She appeared jxr aet'f usual health. There was no dnfetehee atall. One thing struck him Sh* said: “Do you love me, dadr’i'-WsMdtß “Yes; what makes you say that?* then said: “You love <he children, toorjj? Witness eaid: “Why do you my thakf*:-' Deceased said; “Oh I I just want to He said: “Areyou in good health, and she replied: ‘Yes; I’ve neversi better.” . Witness returned home at 9.40 p.m. , ■ The inquest was adjourned. ,