THE SIDNEY TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 2622, 15 June 1904, Page 19

THE SIDNEY TRAGEDY

SYDNEY, June 9. The itiquest touching the death of the man Walker and the girl Pouneeby, who were found shot in a house in Castlereagh street, is not yet concluded. .Evidence was given that Walker and Pouneeby had been keeping conip uiy for a considerable time, and were mutually jealous. A fortnight before the tragedy Pouneeby told a friend they had quarrelled, and as she could not live without him she would shoot both. A private detective deposed that Pouneeby on Monday week employed them to ascertain if Walker was married, and as to his relations with other women. She was very excited. Another witness saw them at an hotel together the night before the shooting. Walker was drunk | and the girl sober. Pouneeby asked what the witness would do if her boy went with other women. Witness replied, " Leave or shoot him." Pouneeby said, "I will shoot Walker tonight," adding, "if you look at the papers to-morrow, you will see the tragedy." Experts are positive the note fotind in the room is in Pounceby's -writing. June 10. At the inquest touching the death of a man named Walker and a girl named Pouneeby, after further medical and police evidence strengthening the theory that Walker did the shooting, the jury found a verdict that the victims of the tragedy decided to die together, and that Walker shot Pouneeby and then himself.

Joe "Walker, a resident of Watkin street, Newtown, in company with a woman named Winifred Pouneeby, visited a house at No. 2 Castlereagh street, about midnight on the 2nd insfr. They occupied a room on the second floor, facing Hunter street. Both were apparently on it'he best of terms, and nothing was heard during the night to indicate that any quarrel took place. As no reply could b© got next morning to repeated knockings the door .was burst open, and a gruesome sight was presented. The man and woman were lying in bed, the clothes of which were smeared with blood. The woman was lying on the right hand side of Walker, who had a revolver in the right hand. The blood which flowed from the wounds in 'the heads of both the deceased had saturated the floor and bed clothes. Walker was shot through the side of the head, while the woman, Pouneeby, was wounded in the mouth. On searching the room a note, signed by the woman, was found, addressed "To whom it may concern," and was to the effect that sho intended to .-till Walker. Vessels containing a quantity of blood were discovered under a couple of pieces of furniture in the room, showing that one or the other had lived after being shot. A search of Walker's clothes revealed a ''telegram, evidently from a woman named Carrington, arranging for him to meet her.