TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2822, 15 April 1908, Page 52

TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

' THPuEE SONS MURDERED. MOTHER AND TWO CHILDREN SERIOUSLY INJURED. SUPPOSED SUICIDE OF THE I FATHER.

INVERCARGILL, April 8. Invercargill, which has supplied ghastly tragedies in the past, was the scene of a still more fearful butchery on Tuesday night. This morning an entire family of seven, were found in their home in Crinan street, four of them dead, and three just clinging to life, though unconscious. • Of course there is nothing beyond circumstantial evidence, but the facts can be plainly read. The facts are that James Reid Baxter, his wife, and five children retired to bed on Tuesday evening in the ordinary manner, the interior of their bedrooms showing that the domestic duties of washing, ironing, and darning had been occupying the attention of an obviously careful housewife during the evening. • In the front room were two little boys in a double bed. In the room behind them were a daughter and a two-year-old boy, and across the passage were Mr and Mrs Baxter and a six-weeks-old baby. During the night, presumably after midnight, the father had evidently arisen, armed himself with a stove ecraper, probably provided himself with a light, and proceeded to systematically butcher the< entire family. There had been no disturbance. The children apparently never awoke. They were found lying this morning in the attitudes of sleep, with faces unmarked save where they had lain in blood. But on the foreheads and skulls were the horrible wounds that had been inflicted with such dreadful precision. Having completed his work, the father appears to have retired to the bathroom with a single-barrelled breech-loading shotgun. He locked the door, filled the bath with water, sat on the edge of the bath, and blew his head off with No. ♦ shot. The trunk fell back into the water, which had been provided, apparently, to make death certain in casb the gun was insufficient. Tke precaution was auneceasary, as the mouth, moustache, and lower jaw are all that remain of the victim's head. The bedrooms, too, are horrible beyond words — pillows and clothing being saturated with blood. ' Tihe absence of movement about the house this morning attracted the attention of a neighbour, who looked through a, window, and r»n to the nearest telephone. The police were on the spot immediately, and they found the house in the condition described. They found life in three members of the family, and immediately 6ent for the ambulance. On entering Mrs Baxter's bedroom, the police officer was startled to see the woman, with gaping wounds and blood-stained face, raise herself in bed and ask, "What has happened?" She relapsed immediately into unconsciousness. The dead are: — James Reid Baxter, aged 43 _year».' Basil Baxter, aged nine. Roy Baxter, aged four. Ronald Baxter, aged two. Those who were taken to the hospital unconscious are: — Mrs Elizabeth Baxter, aged 37. Phyllis Baxter, aged 11. The baby, aged six weeks. Th-a condition of Mrs Baxter is precarious, but there is a probable chance that she will recover. No hope is held out for Phyllis, who has two wounds right to the brain over the light temple, but the baby will most likely recover. It has an ugly dent in the temple, displaying the bone, but it will probably pull through. Mr Baxter was a seedsman and nurseryman, who only came to Inveroargill About 12 months ago. There is nothing to account for the crime. Financially he was in a more than comfon-abie position, and so