DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 50, 13 October 1911, Page 5

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

HUSBAND KILLS WIFE. THEN COMMITS SUICIDE. iPer Press Association.) Gisborne, October 12. A shocking tragedy occurred at Tologa Bay (3G miles up the East Coast) this afternoon. About 2.30 p.m. a young man named ’William Reid cut liis wife’s throat with a razor, and subsequently took his own life by the same means. Reid, who was only about 28 years, was employed as a stableman at Tologa Bay hotel, and his wife was also employed at the hotel as laundress. From details to hand so far, it is ascertained that Elliott, the licensee of the hotel, was working in the yard at about 2.30 and was called by his sister, who had been attracted by Mrs Reid coming down the stairs with a dreadful wound in her throat. Elliott hurried inside and found Mrs Reid lying at the foot of the stairs bleeding to death. Site had rushed down from her bedroom, presumably after her husband had cut her throat, and she expired in Elliott’s presence. The licensee went upstairs to the servants’ quarters in a wing of the building, whore he found the husband lying on tbo floor of tbe bedroom with a terrible gash across bis throat and a blood-stained razor near by with which the deed had presumably boon committed. Elliott arrived in the room just in time to / scc Reid expire. Dr. Weeks was immediately summoned and arrived within ton minutes, but pronounced life to be extinct. The affair is quite inexplicable, as, although the couple had had minor quarrels, nothing of a violent nature had so far as is known come between them. Both had the reputation of being good workers, and those who knew Reid best say ho was a quiet, sober young fellow, and by no means a man likely to do murder. Mrs Reid’s father and mother live in Tologa Bay. The couple were married in Eketahuna about three years ago, and had one child about two years old. About a fortnight ago Reid, while following his occupation, wrenched one of Ids knees, and since then iias been more or less laid up, spending a good deal of his time lying on his bed. This accounts for his presence in the room at that time of day. Ap examination of the bodies showed that Mrs Reid had a deep gash on one side of the throat, only,' while Reid, who had evidently stood in front of a mirrow to take his own life, almost severed his head from the body. Great gloom is cast over (ho township as a result of the tragedy. The inquest is to bo held to-morrow.