A GHASTLY AFFAIR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 365, 12 April 1915, Page 3

A GHASTLY AFFAIR.

MURDER AND SUICIDE. SON'S TERRIBLE DISCOVERY. OUTCOME OF JEALOUS MANIA. A WOOLSTON TRAQED y. Charles Gustavo Petersen, a Swede, aged 64 years, and Catherine Mary Petersen, his wife, aged 48 years, were yesterday found by their son, Gustavo Vincent Petersen, lying dead on the floor of their bedroom, with their throats cut. The tragedy, which was shown at the inquest to be one of murder and suicide, occurred at the residence of the victims, No. 25 Park Street, Woolston, and is assumed to have been the outcome of a fit «t Jealous mania on the part of .the Kttsband. It was stated in evidence at the inquest that the male deceased, a labourer, had not -worked for about four years, and had been in ill-health for some considerable time. lie had been jealous of his wife, aud from time to time made accusations against her that men had gone to the house to see her. No threats of any definite or serious character were ever made by Petersen against his wife in tho hearing of any of the family, and his indefinite threats that he would "make it hot for her" wore not associated by his sons with any intention of violence. Just recently these accusations by Petersen had been fairly frequent, but the altercations usually occurred when members of the family were not present. The woman evinced some fear of her husband, and occasionally their son Gustave spoke to his father on the subject, "going for" him for his conduct. On these occasions Petersen made no reply to his son's requests for proof of his assertions, and usually went away talking to himself. The son did not regard matters as sufficiently serious to take any action other than remonstrating with his father. The Son's Find. • On Saturday .evening Gustave slept at home, retiring to bed about 10.30 p.m., and requesting his father to wake him at 5 a.m. on Sunday, as he purposed going fishing. Petersen called him as asked, and as he was going out his mother, spoke to him. His parents seemed then to be on quite amicable terms and he heard thorn talking together. He went out, leaving them alone in the house. At 11.'55 a.m. the son returned from fishing and found the house qiuet and nobody astir. Ho ■went to his parents' room and found both lying on the floor, their throats cut, their clothing saturated with blood, and blood on the floor all around. They /were in their night attire. Petersen was lying in such a position that his feet jambed tho door, and the son was unable, without moving the body, to open the door more than a foot. He left the bodies undisturbed, and, after ascertaining that the next-door neighbour had heard no sound of a struggle, he reported the matter to tho police. The son stated that he had no doubt his father had murdered his mother and had then committed suicide. In the Boom. Acting-Detective Torrance, who visited the scene of the tragedy, and was present when Dr Palmer pronounced life extinct, said that Petersen was lying on his right side and the woman was lying on her back about two feet away. A razor was lying near Petersen's head, and a flask containing whisky was in the room. The room was not disturbed as though a struggle had taken place. The woman appeared to have been murdered in her bed and to have fallen on to the floor. A Girl's Visit. It was stated that about 9 a.m. a girl had visited the house with milk. The porch door was open and she heard sounds of somebody moving about, but as she could get no reply to her knocks she left. At 10 a.m. she returned, and the door was then closed and the place was quiet. Peterson, was in the habit of taking a nip of whisky occasionally, but he did not get drunk. The Verdict. Tho Coroner (Mr IT. W. Bishop, S.M.) returned verdicts that Petersen committed suicide by cutting his throat with a ra/,or, after murdering his wife by cutting her throat, and that the woman met her death by being brutally murdered by her husband.