DEATH PACT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 88, 5 July 1927, Page 11

DEATH PACT

GRIM STORY TOLD (Continued from Page 1.) Collen Kiddell was a popular young man within his limited circle of acquaintances. He was inclined to be reserved, and there may be ground for the belief that dairy farm life in Taranaki had not agreed with him. A former personal friend describes him thus: “Collen Kiddell was a cheerful, amusing young man. As honest as the day, he was a conscientious worker, and keen about New Zealand life. At that time, in Eltham in 1923, he owned a motor-cycle and used it a great deal.” He and his sister, it is clear from the passport photographs, were remarkably alike. Both had the same black hair, brown, wide-set eyes, and sensitive mouths. Miss Kiddell was a brilliantly clever girl, and had held important posts as a school teacher. Her reluctance to leave the Old Country may have preyed upon her mind, for when the party arrived in New Zealand she was opposed to their going to the brother’s farm, and it was on her account that the house at Mount Albert was taken.

LETTERS TO FRIENDS

INTENTIONS REVEALED Evidently Kiddell, senr., had contemplated doing away with his family and himself for some time. Letters to friends in Cardiff, Bradford and Southampton were written by him and in these letters he made reference to his intentions. *

Business letters to people in England were also written by Kiddell before the tragedy was enacted.

The father was born at Harwich, and the mother at Southampton. The daughter’s birthplace was Wallstead.

ARRIVAL IN DOMINION

PLEASED TO BE HERE Mr. and Mrs. Kiddell and Miss Kiddell arrived in New Zealand by the Remuera, and landed in Auckland on Sunday morning, June 12. They immediately went to the People’s Palace Private Hotel, in Upper Queen Street, where they stayed from June 12 to June IS.

During their stay at the People’s Palace arrangements were made to take the house in West Street, Mount Albert, from Mrs. R. Clark, of 271 Karangahape Road.

On the afternoon of June 18 the Kiddells went into their new home.

“It was a great shock to the people in the hotel when they learned of the tragedy to-day, said those in charge of the office at the People’s Palace this morning. “The Kiddells were a very charming family, and everyone was delighted with them.” It was said by people who met the Kiddells during their stay at the hotel that they were very pleased to be in New Zealand. Miss Kiddell charmed everyone who met her, and she told some of the guests that she proposed teaching French in Auckland. She was a most proficient French scholar. From their conversation at the time of their arrival the Kiddells contemplated staying in New Zealand for some time. They expressed their delight at coming here.

POLICE BUSY

DETECTIVES ON THE JOB The police officers who handled the investigation at the house were Inspector Mcllveney, Senior-Detective Cummings, Senior-Detective Hammond, and Detective-Sergeant OBrieu. They had a busy night, and an even busier morning, picking up the threads of the tragedy.

TROUBLED FATHER

ANGUISH OF MIND LETTER TO CLERGYMAN (Special to THE SUN.) HAMILTON, To-day. Mr. and Mrs. Kiddell might easily have made Hamilton their home. They asked the Rev. and Mrs. Harty, of Frankton, who were fellow-passen-gers on the voyage from England, to keep in touch with them and to try to secure a suitable place for r.hem at Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Harty subsequently reecived a letter from Mr. Kiddell in which he made the anguish of mind which he was suffering very apparent. In this letter he expressed a great desire for a talk with the Hartys, remarking: “For heaven knows we want some consolation.” The father added that medical advice had been sought for his daughter since the family landing in New Zealand, but from developments since then, the father saw that there was no hope of an escape from the trouble. “I keep a stiff upper lip for my poor wife's sake, but it’s a nard job,” he wrote. ADMIRED HIS SON Mr. Kiddell said that he would forward his address later to the Ilartys, but that never came, the grim tragedy just enacted explaining why. Mr. Kiddell thought a lot of his son and admired his spirit in striking out in a new land, but he was not far on the voyage before he realised his error in bringing his daughter out against her will.

The Rev. F. Harty will arrive in Auckland this evening to identify the bodies of Mr., Mrs. and Miss Kiddell. The inquest will not be opened today.

ELTHAM SHOCKED

KIDDELL WELL-KNOWN PLAYED IN FOOTBALL TEAM (Special to THE SUN.) ELTHAM, To-day. News of the Mount Albert tragedy has been received distressfully in Eltham, where Collen Kiddell has been

working for the last six years. He arrived here in 1921 and had been working until just recently for Mr. H. Wills, at the latter’s farm at Mata, a farming district centring on Eltham.

Kiddell left Eltham at the end of May, giving an order to the local postal authorities to change his address to Mangaweka, where he had purchased a sheep farm on which, it was reported, there was only £4OO owing. Kiddell, jun., then joined Mr. and Mrs. Wills and party and went to Auckland, where Mr., Mrs. and Miss Lorna Kiddell met them on Friday, June 10, arriving on the Remuera. The father was an official in the Customs at Home and had just retired on superannuation.

Kiddell, junior, is reported to have been wonderfully devoted to his parents and his sister, Lorna Kiddell, who was fully qualified to take a position as French mistress in New Zealand, but had not obtained a situation. The family travelled first class to New Zealand and was considered to be in comfortable circumstances. An Eltham friend of Kiddell, jun., one day said that his sister might marry a colonial.

“Marry a colonial!” he repeated in a tone which implied that no colonial was good enough for his sister. Last year Kiddeli’s father was ill in England, but no mention was made in letters to Collen Kiddell until the father reg. s ned his usual good health, the reason being that the family feared the son might worry unnecessarily.

The son was of a quiet, unassuming nature, but of a nervous temperament. He was a steady and solid worker. He played for Eltham first junior football team and recently became engaged to marry a girl in Hawera, the announcement being made two months ago. There are no other relatives in New Zealand. Collen Kiddell’s age was 25, not 28 as stated in a Press message. Lorna’s age was 28.

It is believed that his fiance worried over receiving no letters during the last fortnight and made inquiries which resulted in the tragic discovery. A recent visitor from Eltham to Auckland said the behaviour of Kiddell, jun., was queer.