TRAGEDY IN SYDNEY

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 19

TRAGEDY IN SYDNEY

MURDER AND SUICIDE.

SYDNEY, November IS. A mysterious tragedy was discovered in the Hotel Metropole to-night. A man and his, wife, supposed to be named Lister, were found dead in a room. It is believed that the husband firsfc gave his wife- prussic acid and then shot her, and then' poisoned and shot himself* The details are meagre.

November 16.

The victims in the Hotel Metropol* tragedy are a Cowra solicitor named Lister King and his wife. Both were well connected. They arrived at the hotel yester* day morning. . The husband left a pathetic letter refer* ring in endearing terms to his wife. He states that he gave her prussic acid, but as this failed to have much effect he shot her. He then took poison, but woke up two hours afterwards, when he swallowed a glass of brandy to steady his nerves.

Then he wrote a letter describing the awfulness of waking from death, and concluded : "My darling is in heaven, but she will not have long to wait, as I anr going to shoot myself and join her." No reason is given for the tragedy. November 18.

Ifc is understood that Mr and Mrs King, who were found dead at the HoTel Metropole on Friday, came to Sydney to enable the wife, who had an old -standing complaint, to enter a private hospital. Fail* ing any cine; tin's is now suggested as a possible solution of the mystery. It is thought that this trouble and the atteiy dant expense preying on the minds of ths Kings led to the tragedy. Early in the day Mrs King had arranged to meet her sister, and when found dead she was fully dressed in her goingvouf 1 ' clothes.