KIDDELL TRAGEDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 89, 6 July 1927, Page 1

KIDDELL TRAGEDY

FAMILY’S SAD FATE

“NOT INSANE” WRITES FATHER

RIFLE PURCHASED IN AUCKLAND

I AM not insane, but this is the only way out from our troubles.” So wrote Ernest Whitby Kiddell, in a letter to the police before he shot his wife, son and daughter, and then himself, in a house at Mount Albert on the night of June 22. Further letters are expected to reveal that three of the four had agreed to end their lives.

A T the inquest, which opened this morning, the harassed father’s letter was put in as evidence. He had painstakingly set out the reasons for his dreadful deed, the letter going on to rea,d as follows: “There is money in my breeches pocket sufficient to pay burial expenses, about £25. I have made arrangements with the Bank of New Zealand, Napier, for the disposal of my cash here. Please post all letters, giving Mrs. Clark* the unstamped one. “My reasons are: 1. My son bought a farm at Mangaweka a month ago, and through nervous breakdown has not been near the place for three weeks—all stock suffering, and he can never work it, he says. 2. My daughter has also had a bad breakdown. 3. My own health is failing—operation recently, removal of a kidney. 4. My wife is broken-hearted at these troubles.” OTHER LETTERS The letter quoted was enclosed in an envelope addressed “To the Police,” and was signed ‘‘E. W. Kiddell.” Other letters deceased wrote will not be put in until a later stage of the inquest, which was adjourned. After their examination of the house was completed, the police turned all the dead family’s effects

over to the Public Trust Office. There was a good deal of cash in the house. The money Kiddell, senr., carried round with him was in sovereigns. It is not easy to understand why he turned his affairs over to the Bank of New Zealand at Napier, except that the family had some association with Napier through the fact that Colton Kiddell, the son, was nominated, under the immigration system, by a lady then living f in Napier, but now living at Green Lane, Auckland. * LIVING AT HYTHE Interviewed this morning, the lady concerned said Collen Kiddell left England five years ago, when slie was home in England on a visit to her relatives. Her brother was a close friend of the Kiddells, who were living at Hythe, a seaport in Kent, and through him she met the family, who always seemed happy and agreeable. *The daughter was a highly-cul-tured girl, and had a car of her own to run round in. On his arrival in New Zealand, Collen Kiddell went to Napier, and stayed with these people, his only friends in New Zealand, until he found a place on a Taranaki farm. Distressed by the tragic fate of her friends, the Green Lane lady and her husband were among the few personal mourners present at the funeral, which left Little’s mortuary, Hobson Street, for the Waikumete Cemetery this afternoon. BOUGHT A RIFLE PREMEDITATED CRIME PURCHASE IN AUCKLAND In tlie register of sales at the Colonial Ammunition Company’s shop in Shortland Street is the following significant entry, dated June 22: “To Ernest Whitby Kiddell, retired, one .32 calibre Winchester rifle. Kiddell also purchased 100 rounds of amunition for the rifle, the transaction costing him £8 13s, of which £8 10s was for the rifle. “KNOCKING ABOUT ON FARM” He stated that he wanted the rifle for knocking about on a farm. As it was of a type often used for pig-shoot-ing this statement appeared quite reasonable. It is to be noted that the weapon was purchased on June 22, the day before the fatal night. Actually, Kiddell had been in to inquire about the purchase the day before, a taxi-driver named L. Cohen driving him to the C.A.C. shop. He to d the taxi-driver he wanted to buy a rifle, and appeared to be worried. At the C.A.C. shop he was informed that a permit for the purchase of the rifle would be necessary, so he was driven to the Arms Office, where the necessary authority was secured. TOLD NEIGHBOUR FAMILY WAS LEAVING LAST CONVERSATION NOISES IN EARLY MORNING Kiddell senior’s intention of doing away with himself and his family is further strengthened by the fact that he told Mrs. M. Taylor on June 21 that he and his family were leaving immediately for their son’s farm at Mangaweka. Mrs. Taylor, whose house is only a few yards from that in which the dreadful tragedy was enacted, was awakened just before dawn on the morning of June 22 by sounds next door. She thought that some heavy object had fallen and now thinks that it was the tragedy being committed. Next morning neighbours opposite first noticed the light burning in the front bedroom, where it burned until the discovery was made on Monday evening. Their suspicions were not aroused because they thought the family had left the light burning when they departed from the house in the earlymorning. One neighbour said that she thought perhaps burglars had got into the house and had left the light on after ransacking the rooms. Mrs. Taylor was the last person to speak to any member of the Kiddell family. (Continued on page 9.)