MYSTERY OF “INGLEBRAE.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3486, 4 January 1921, Page 16

MYSTERY OF “INGLEBRAE.”

SHOOTING OF DR TOZER. CHARGE AGAINST MRS MORT. SYDNEY, December 29. Mrs Mort has been charged with the murder of Dr Tozer. i LADY COMPANION’S STORY. THE LOCKED-UP DRAWING ROOM. Tile following interesting report is taken from the Sydney Sun: Sergeant S. Fowler, of Pymble Police Station, furnished the following report to the city coroner upon the shooting of Dr Claud© Tohu Tozer and the wounding of Mrs Harold Sutcliffe Mort at Lindfield: “I beg to report that about 2.30 p.m. on December 21 Claude John Tozer, about 30 years of age, single, medical practitioner, native of New South Wales, and lately residing at ‘ Shireen,’ Boundary street, Roseville, was found dead at the residence of Mr Harold Sutcliffe Mort, ‘ Inglebrae,’ Howard street, Lindfield; and Dorothy Mort, tb© letter’s wife, about 30 to 35 years of age, domestic duties, native of Victoria, was discovered to be wounded and poisoned at the same address. "It appears that at about 11.30 a.m. on the date in question Dr Tozer paid an allegedly professional visit to Mrs Mort, and was closeted with her in the drawing room for a fairly lengthy period. About noon, whin the ladyhelp, Miss Florenze Fizelle (? Frazer) thought she heard a noise in the room, she went to the door and asked if anything was wanted. She received the reply from her mistress that nothing was required, and she was not to enter. Eventually Mrs Mort must have crossed the hallway into her own bedroom unnoticed, as about 5 p.m. she called for a drink of ‘ icecold water.’ She repeated the order soon j after, as she ‘was terribly thirsty.’ The help was not allowed to enter the room, but had to leave the glass of water on each demand at the door, when it would be surreptitiously taken by Mrs Mort. The girl afterwards effected an entrance into her mistress’s room, found her in a state of collapse and covered with blood, and assisted her to bed. “On Constable Maiden's arrival at the scene, about 9.30 p.m., deceased, Dr Tozer, was found in a sitting posture on the edge of a Chesterfield couch, with the legs stretched out in front and the head resting on the back. j FINDING THE REVOLVER, “A Colt automatic pistol was found lying on top of his right thigh near to his right hand. Three ejected cartridge shells were picked up in the room, and at least two live cartridges were observed in the magazine. Two holes, apparently from bullets, are to be seen in the back of the couch, and one about 2ft from the floor in the wall at the end of the couch. An examination of the body by Dr Murray, Tryon road, Lindfield, disclosed a punctured wound on the right temple, probably caused by entry of a bullet, with the supposed exit of same on left side of head near the ear. At the examination of the unconscious Mrs Mort immediately after, Dr Murray found what was most likely a wound caused by the entry of a bullet on the left breast, with a wound on the back under the left shoulder blade, probably the exit of the bullet, or vice versa. The doctor also dis- , closed that the woman bad the appearance ; as of morphia poisoning, and the finding ol a laudanum bottle in the drawing room confirmed his opinion. WHO FIRED THE SHOTS? The affair is a mystery at present, as the police have not the faintest idea as to who fired the shots. A letter has been found in the house. It was written, so the police say, by Dr Tozer. The terms of it were calm. There were also letters, they state, written by Mrs Mort, Mrs Mort, who is 35 years of age, is the wife of Mr H. S. Mort, who is a surveyor in the Railway and Tramway Department. For some time past Mrs Mort has been suffering a great deal from nerve troubles and insomnia. She has had a very tryingtime of it. Naturally, Mr Mort has had bis worries over his wife's illness, but he has had tire assistance of Miss Frances Frazer, a friend of tho family, who has ably assisted Mrs Mort to look after the house and also her two children —a girl aged nine and a boy aged five. Some weeks ago Mrs Mort explained her case to Dr Tozer, who lived in Boundary street, Roseville, and he treated her for her troubles. At times she appeared to be improving, while again there were little setbacks naturally attendant on nerve troubles. Yesterday morning Mrs Mort was feeling very poorly, and the police have been informed that Mr Mort telephoned to Dr Tozer asking him to come to the house to see Mrs Mort again. He left home shortly after the message was received, and arrived at Mrs Mori’s house about 11.30. MYSTERY OF THE DRAWING-ROOM. Miss Frances Frazer, lady’s companion to Mrs Mort, was still in a highly excited state when seen this morning, but she was able to tell her story of the tragedy. Dr Tozer, she said, called at the home shortly before noon. He seemed in pleasant spirits. She showed him into Mrs Mold’s bedroom, where Mrs Mort lay ill in bed. Miss Frazer closed the door behind them, and went out to the rear of the house. A few minutes later she heard shots (or at least she thought they were shots). Sho went straight away to the door of the drawing-room adjoining the bedroom in which she had left Dr Tozer and Mrs Mort, It was the drawing-room from which the reports seemed to have come. She tried the door, and found it. locked. Then she went back into the adjoining bedroom and tried the drawing-room door there, but it also was locked. There was no one in the bedroom, so Miss Frazer concluded that both Dr Tozer and Mrs Mort had moved, into the drawingroom. although Mrs Mort’s health was such that Miss Frazer did not think sho would have been capable of "-citing out of bed. However, Miss Frazer knocked at the doer of the, drawing-room, and called out, “ Whatever is the matter?” Mrs Mort’s voice answered, “ I am all right.” Miss Frazer, however, was not satisfied, and without waiting further sho rushed out of the house and raced away to a neighbour’s place, in order to ring for a doctor, but the telephone was out of order.

She tried a number of times and eventually returned to the house. There she found Mrs Mott’s little girl, who had been away playing. Sho told the child what she had heard, and the pair of them knocked at the drawing-room door. Everything was quiet. They received no answer. Then they walked along to the bedroom ’ door. This door, when Miss Frazer went to ring np, was open, but now they found it locked also. They both, banged at tho door and called out, asking what was wrong. The door remained locked, but Airs Mort answered that nothing was wrong. Her voice came from the herb room. Apparently after the shooting she had returned from the drawing-room where Dr Tozer was lying dead. During the afternoon Miss Frazer and Miss Mort repeatedly knocked at the bedroom door, and inquired what tho trouble was. but on each occasion the answer was to the effect that there was nothing wrong. These replies came all the time from Mrs Mort. There was no sound of Dr Tozor’s voice. WHAT THE YOUNG LADY SAW. It was about 7 o’clock in the evening when the door of the bedroom was first opened. Mrs Mort called out for some ice water, and Miss Frazer brought it to the door. There was a movement inside the room, Hie lock clicked, and Mrs Mort half opened the door to receive the watt r As she did so Miss Frazer pushed the door open. She was horrified at the state of her mistress. At this point of the story Miss Frazer this morning broke off. She said that she could hardly remember anything more. She was so upset. The home of Air and Mrs Mort is a big brown and white bungalow, “Inglebrae,” standing alone on a Use off Howard street near Owen street, Lindfield. It is about a mile from the station. Giant trees stand on each side of the home, and in the front is a picturesque little garden. It is a comfortably furnished place, and stands out prominently as a visitor walks down to it along tho Tryon road. SITTING DEAD ON A COUCH. It has been stated that when the locked doors were opened, on a couch in the drawing room, close to a window, sat Dr Tozer, dead. He had a bullet wound in his right temple. A bullet had passed through his head and embedded itself in the wall. Oil his lap, near his right hand, lay a Colt’s automatic revolver. The body was stiff. Beside him, to his right, lay a blood-stained kimona. There were no signs of a struggle. The carpet and the oouch were covered with Kikxxl, and Dr Tozer himself presented an awful spectacle, with all the front of his clothing bloodstained. The next event was the discovery of Mrs Mort with a bullet wound under her heart. Ail the police were able to learn last night was that Airs Alort was in her bedroom. Dr Ivl lii'ray, of Lindfield, who was sent for, was quickly on the scene. He attended to Mrs Alort, and last night made a statement) which will be taken in writing to-day. When Air Alort returned home at night, Dr Murray met him, and told him what had happened. He was greatly shocked. PUZZLING SITUATION. The police have never had such a puzzling case to deal with for many many years. But. they have hopes of clearing up the mystery soon. The Government medical officer who conducts the examination to-day, will, of course, report as to whether or not there are any powder marks around the wounds on both persons, and the finding of the revolver on Dr Tozer’s lap will also receive special attention. DOCTOR. SOLDIER, CRICKETER. Familiar to Sydney by his deeds at cricket, Dr Claude John Tozer was also well known amongst the medical profession. His death last night found him a little over 30 years of age. He graduated as a medical practitioner from the Sydney Univc: sity shortly before war was declared, and after serving a period on the resident staff of the Sydney Hospital enlisted with the A.M.C. -During the four years he spent, at the war he was seriously wounded, and also suffered from influenza. At the beginning of the year he was again dangerously ill, this time with diphtheria. but was able to attend to his profession enough to look after an increasing practice in Roseville and the North Shore districts. His home was in Boundary street, in the former suburb. In cricket Dr Tozer was a plaver who was well in the limelight owing to his high standard of batsmanship. He p'ayed first with University, and later with the Gordon Club. He won the hatting average last year amongst the Gordon team, and this season was leading with the highest average of runs for grade cricket. He practised with the 15 who had been selected as material for the New South Wales team agamst the Englishmen, and was picked as twelfth man. a selection which provoked much criticism. Dr Tozer's father was an cx-bank manager of Mndgee, and was also an ardent cricketer. Deceased was unmarried, and was a nephew of the late Sir Horace , Tozer. of Queensland.