N.S. WALES TRAGEDY

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 57

N.S. WALES TRAGEDY

FIENDISH DOUBLE MURDER. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER. SYDNEY, June 14. An atrocious tragedy has occurred at Stanmore, resulting in the deaths of Mrs Tucker and her brother, Ernest Matheson, and the attempted suicide of the murderer, John Thomas Tucker. According to the story told by Tucker’s 15-year-old son, his father was recently sent to gaol for not complying with maintenance order. On returning home} he gained admittance by a window, andl tied his wife to the bedpost, where shot remained all night, while he himself slept, also keeping the boy in the room. Matheson called next morning and waa. admitted by Tucker, who, threatening him with a revolver, made the boy bind Matheson’s eyes and hands. Tucker then beat Matheson on the head with the butt ol the revolver till he was dead. Tucker returned to bed and slept, throughout the day. His boy, worn out! by watching, went to sleep, but was awakened at night by his mother’s cries. He found his father beating her, and he continued his fiendish work till she was dead. Tucker then shot himself, and ns now in hospital in a serious state. The boy; escaped and informed the police. Tucker, who was released from prison a few days ago, forced his way into a house in the early hours of the morning.' He appears to ■ have used a hatchet for killing his victims. He kept his wife tied to the bedpost for several hours, and thenr released her after killing Matheson. The mother of the boy spent 12 frightful hours without food, and there were frequent quarrels between the couple, terminating in Tucker striking his wife on the head with a hatchet. The blows were repeated at every groan till she was dead, the boy burying his head in the bedclothes with terror at the sight. Tucker, after shooting himself through the cheek, went to his sister’s residence, and from there was taken to the hospital* He is likely to recover.