WOMAN'S TERRIBLE ACT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12096, 14 March 1910, Page 2

WOMAN'S TERRIBLE ACT.

SETS FIRE TO. #ER HOUSE

STRUGGLE IN THE RARK

A fire, m which Mrs Day, wife of Plainclothes .Constable L. Day, , was burnt to death with her child, a baby girl, and in ,which~her-two -sons— -C*fril, aged six,' and Boy, aged eight-^-receiyed such severe injuries that fliey, too, died, "occurred recently m Chet-vvynd sti*eet, West Melbourne, and was followed by a sensational development. . . j, ; , . The Coroner -s orderly, wnile exariiihing the* body of Mrs Day, fpund,that her throat was cut. This development iriir parted a *new element into the case. An examination of the hdus6 shewed tha£ Mrs Day had deliberately set fire to tlie premises. Tliis conclusion was inevitable when it was found that the house was alight m four separate robins, and m no case had the fire met. The evidence- of intent was , plainest ih the bedroom^ where the children slept. > The furniture was piled against the : dobV from tlie inside. . . " ■ ■ .

Under the bed was a pile of chips, and the mattress luxd been torn.. The straw was protruding, so that ft] might more readily catoh fire Detective McManammy found a tin wlf cK #ad contained kerosene. It was 'pft^nfc/that the poor woman hall soalce4th^ place with, oil. A lampi naci^^ bwnvt^_wrt Vph the bed ;up«on. which Mi-alßbj^^cj^'y.Wii, the deCeas^^woman^te and charred raigs weije .aMariouiiS.' m. the room. The wood W&H the house liad y^i^ed/^yffitt^lne wood di^poSed m various places jn the house. Aii " extraordinary care for some canaries were shown, .ji 'CheyHwere taken from their usual place m the house into the back yard ; and, lastly, there is ■ the evidence of the children.^ . "Mother," stated the. eldest bay, to ' Constable Day, "lit the fire."

According to tKe statement, of Miss Wjobclward,* she went fearly to bed. Mrs Day sat m the , kitchen writing. . The letter she Avrote is now m the .hands of the Chief Commissioner of Police. It accustes her hu&band of cahying .-on .v.itl\ her stepsister, and say?. . J^}#'.";\Vu& unbear? able foi* hpr. Having done this she must have brought the woodin from the back and piled if m various places: m the hpuse. Tlie fires having been lit, Mrs Day went into the front room with the lamp. Her sister woke, and Mrs Day seized hei. as she did $b, throwing the burning lamp upon the bed. _ The two women struggled on the floor. ThirdOfficer Hey don, of thelrfirei brigade/ found the two women struggling', in each other's arms m th 6 passage. -,' Hearing that there was a child 'n the bedrobm.ne plunged into the flames, and succeeded .m bringing little Violet out, ndtf'q'uite dead ; but she died m his arms. He went back and dragged Miss Woodward k oj,it, and returned again. Mrs Day ' was ' riot where he had left her, and, thinking she had made her escape, he and his men devoted their attention to saving the house. Constable Day returned from duty, and with Mr Hcydon found :the body of his wife m- the* kitchen: - A' quantity of blood was lying beneath the body, but little attention was paid to it, until it was found at, the morgue that Mrs Day had cut her throat. ' She -must,' have donek this after she rushed ,-itito ... the flames, and -it; is ..; believed/, tliat she cut her- throat with her Husband's razor, whioh Is missing.