MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Patea Mail, Volume XLV, 14 October 1921, Page 2

MURDER AND SUICIDE.

GHASTLY TRAGEDY AT XUIvU- ‘ MARTI. I’AEHEK ’S AWFUL DEED. A ghastly tragedy, involving murder and. suicide, was reported to the local police yesterday. The affair took jdace at Xnkumaru, the principals -being a farmer named Luke McGorman, aged about 51, and his wife aged 36. A fog M mystery, so far as reason for the deed is concerned, surrounds the horror. The tragedy evidently took place early on Tuesday evening and within about 22 yards of the house, both bodies being found there. The indieatons wore that McGorman cut his wife’s throat with a razor and then cut his ■•wit, after which ho dragged himself

to the side of the road where he lay .•hill a!i\ o, and soaked to the skin on Wednesday morning.

The conditions of the MeGorinan household on Tuesday evening were normal. After tea McGorman, his wife, son (aged 8 years), and the worker were present, the two parents set out for a school committee mooting. The relations had been normal. There had

been no suggestion of a qujyrrel. MeGonuan and his wife did not reach the school committee meeting. In the meantime the worker and the boy retired to bed and went to sleep. It being customary to rouse the man in the morning the man slept in late. When lie got up ho found nobody except the boy in the house. Then ho went to have a look round and found the body of the woman on the road and McGorn;au in a paddock near by still alive. Constable Willits, of Waitotara, was summoned, but McGorman expired almost immediately on his arrival. The deceased and his wife resided at ihe old accommodation house at Xukun'avu, about 18 miles from Wanganui. -McGorman was well known in Wanga* nui. The late Mrs McGorman’s relatives reside in How Plymouth. The nearest European neighbour lives about: a mile away. Maoris live much nearer but they did not hear anything. Go far us is known there was no cause ior the murder. It has been suggested that jealousy may have been the reason, but that seems to have been groundless. The family were in good circumstances, and temporary mental derangement would seem to have been due'cause of the tragedy. That it was premeditated, however, is shown by the ■ act that McGorman took the razor with him.—Wanganui Chronicle.