THE TAURANGA TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6291, 11 February 1892, Page 2

THE TAURANGA TRAGEDY

ArcKLAxn, to-day.— ln the evidence at the inquest on the bodies of George, John, and Lilian Munro, victims of the Tauranga tragedy, Dr Bullen, who was called in when the murder was discovered, deposed that for some time past lie considered Munro dangerous and insane. He frequently suffered from religions mania, and a few days a<}o Mrs Munro called on him and showed him bruises caused by her husband, and stated she was in fear of her life and the lives of her children. He reported this to Mrs Bodell, Munro's mother, and to Peter Munro, his brother, and said Munro would do something if not looked after. He also reported it to the police. Peter Munro, brother of accused, admitted that Dr Bullen had told him six months ago that his brother should be watched, but witness understood the doctor to believe that he would do injury not to others, but to himself. Sergeant Kiely said that when he asked Mrs Munro if she considered her husband dangerous, she replied that she was not afraid, but as she had to inu-sc a baby she would require assistance. Ho had heard nothing about Munro beating his wife, as stated iv Dr. Bullen's evidence. During the inquest prisoner was seized by a fit, and caused a sensation by sin^iufj hymns. He had to be taken out of the room. A verdict was returned of wilful murder against Duncan Munro> with a rider that he should nevei have been let out of the asylum, and had not been properly looked after by his family. Mrs Munro is still alive, but unconscious, and in a critical state. The report that the other child is dead is incorrect, but all hope of the poor little boy recovering, is also given up. Dr. McGregor, Inspector of Asylums, has beensearchimjtherecords in regard to fcheconfinement of Munro. He finds he was admitted to Auckland Asylum 10th June, 1889, when suffering from an attack of epileptic mania, the second he had had within about six years. He was discharged in December of the same year on a magistrate's order given on the medical officers' certificate. Great pressure was brought to bear by his friends to procure his release, and he was liberated under a clause of the Act providing that a person can be released for twelve months on probation on condition that his friends undertake to look after him, and this Munro's mother and sisters promised to do. The Act provides that if a person released under this clause is not returned to the asylum within fourteen days after the twelve months has expired, he must be formally discharged, which was done in Munro's case.