SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN TASMANIA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 932, 24 October 1879, Page 2

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN TASMANIA.

[Frojui tKe 1 -Latinoesfon ' Emihinkf( September 2. J . Quite a sensation was created by a rumour which ran through itown yesterday morning, that Mr. P. I;. De Bomford, of Ularoo, near St. Leonards, had shot his sister in law,^ Mrs. Easton with a rifle, the wound proving fatal. The rumour was found , to* be but 'too true, and there are are so many painful circumstances - connected with the matter as to render it an exceedingly diffioult task to give an intelligible account of the affair, and at the same time avoid giving needless pain to tliose relatives and friends whose sorrow is already hard enough to bear. It would appear that some fourteen, years ago deceaaed lady, then. Miss Emily Hopkins, came from England to live with her sister, Mrs. D. I. De BofnfowJ) where she remained a welcome guest till .her marriage with Mr. Edward Easton, some two or three years ago. Mr. De Bomford was most strongly opposed to the match, and, in fact, to Miss Hopkins leaving her sister's home • he also manifested much Jbitter feeling towards Mr. Easton, who, for the"; sake of his wife and her sister and for peace appears to have throughout carried forbearance to almost excess. Abo at this time Mr. De BqmfoiJd began^ tq exhibit signs bf^mentar atfd was at times "mb^t • iraitßbie_and violent. When in thes& moods Easton had great control over hiufc* and by his own and wife's*- wish she spent a great deal of fierie". if flla*ob, W'g De Bomfbr&'s hostility tb Mr. Bastion was manifested in a most violent manner whenever he met him. As time passed on Mr. De; Bomford became more and more violent, but through medical men and others strongly advised for many months) past that he should be placed under restraint, it can easily be imagined how the wife and, sister shrank from this, and bore their troubles in- silenoe. Mr. EaSfcon was a great deal atfay from home on business* and on returning to town a few days ago found his wife at Illaroo, and asked her to come homa*--^, Mrs De Bomford had been umisualf 1 violent lately, and: on Saturda> P when Mrs. Easton told him she meant to return. iT home/ he flew into a passion, and .declared that he would sooner see hep dead than allow her to return: ; «Mr. oC. i JD.; iOi Propsting aud others saw Mb, and had Mrs. Easton taken the .advice then given her, to lay an information' against him for threatening her, all would have been well now, but Bhe thought it would pass off as at other times. Mr. Propsting, however, with considerable prudenpe, told-off a constable to keep abbtit tte place, not to interfere, but to run up 1 if he was wanted, and this precaution perhaps prevented another tragedy yesterday. ]Mrs. Easton, having written to her husband to expeot her 1 down by the midday train yesterday, told Mr. De Bomford she was going home, whioh led to another fit of passion, and about 11 a.m-j, as she was returning into ths house, he came rushing from his bedroom with a rifle and fired .at, her. Mrs. Easton turned, ran some' thirty or fdrly yards down the carriage, drive, and then felL In a few minutes she was dead. The weapon must have been loaded with small bullets or slugs, as there are three wounds on Mrs. Easton's tshin, where the bullets entered, and one finger of the left hand is cut by a bullet, as if she had thrown her hands up in the vain hope of saving herself when she saw him aiming at her. „ Constable Lissen, who was on the | watch, hearing the report ran up, and i saw De Bomford Crossing the yard to re-enter the house with the rifle in his hand. He at once rushed De Bomford, knocked Kim dowtt, and managed- to seoure him before he could get to his room, for had he barricaded himself there, with the firearms it contained, it | would have been no easy matter to have arrested him afterwards: Messengers were dispatched to town for Mr. Propsting and Dr. Hardy. The latter fode out at a gallop, but the unfortunate lady was past all human aid. Mr. tDe Bomford was brought into town resisting and raving violently, and charged by Mr. Propsting at the Police-Office with the wilful murder of Mrs. Emily Easton, and he was remanded for a week and taken to the gaol, where he appeared to relapse into a state of stupor.