DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT BLACKMOUNT

Southland Times, Issue 25545, 13 December 1944, Page 4

DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT BLACKMOUNT

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST Giving evidence when the inquest was opened into the deaths of Cecilia Rodger Turnbull and Barckley Mouat, who were found shot in the sitting room of Blackmount station homestead on Sunday, Lizzie Turnbull said her sister was engaged to Mouat. She had been engaged to him for a few months past. Mouat was a returned soldier and lived at Tuatapere and worked in a box factory there. As a result of something her sister heard she broke off the engagement to Mouat that day (Sunday). Mouat arrived at the house on Sunday about 11 a.m. He came with another man named Sheriff. He was in the sitting room before dinner with her sister. He stayed and had dinner. Sheriff returned as soon as he brought Mouat to the house. The witness said she never saw Mouat with a rifle at any time. After dinner her sister followed Mouat into the sit-ting-room. They were in this room together about 10 minutes or a quarter of an hour; then the witness’s attention was directed to hearing thuds on the floor. She was in the kitchen. She realized that something was wrong and rushed into the sitting-room. She found her sister lying on the floor. Mouat was also lying on the floor. She could not remember seeing any rifle in the room at that time. The reason why her sister was breaking off her engagement to Mouat was because of his association with another woman in Tuatapere. Her sister also told the witness that she had tried to make Mouat take the engagement ring back, but that he would not take it. That was before dinner. Before the occurrence her sister appeared to be attached to Mouat, and he professed to be very fond of her sister. The inquest was then adjourned. It will be concluded at Otautau on Monday.