UNREQUITED LOVE

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1927, Page 4

UNREQUITED LOVE

RECENT SYDNEY TRAGEDY DOUBLE MURDER AND SUICIDE, NEW ZEALANDER A VICTIM. Sydney, May 19. An inquest was held a.couple of days ago into the cause of the deaths of William Gordon Fuller, aged 22, Thelma Hammill, aged 18, and George Walker, aged 22, at Ashfield, on thia night or April 25. Evidence was given that Fuller, who had been a lover of the dead girl, shot both her and Walker. The coroner found that Fuller had murdered Welker and Hammill, and had committed suicide. Sergeant Irwin said that he searched the pockets of Walker, and found two bankbooks, one made out in the name of Smith, and the other a New Zealand book, in the name of Arthur Robert Walker. Tho police in New Zealand had informed him that the real name of the dead man was George Walker. The witness said that he later searched through the belongings of Fuller, and found the following letter: “Mother, dear, I am perfectly sane, and know what I am doing. I am going to shoot Thelma and myself. I only hope I c n get a shot at the Man who has taken her away from me, but please d not think me a coward or a murderer, for lam not. I love her. She took my ring and promised to marry me, but broke my heart, as well as ruined my career as a ship’s officer. Then she said she was only fooling me, after five long years. It is not revenge, for it will be hard for me to hurt the only thing I have ever loved. I may not have the heart to do it yet, but if I can I will take her over the line with me, so no one will ever be able to have her.

“My heart is broken now, for I just cannot live without her. I just worship her. There has never been another girl in my life. If you only knew a hopeless yearning, day and night—but what’s the good? It is all over now, and no one will ever understand. I can never have her in this world, but I hope I may in the next, whatever it might be; only I love her better than life. Please do not fret over me; it is the only way. I shall be happy. Please try and think kindly of the girl I have loved. Vive! Vale! Billy.” David Cairns, step-father of Thelma Hammill, said, the girl had been acquainted with Fuller for three years. They were not engaged. Fuller went away on a ship for 12 months, and Walker then came on the scene, but went to New Zealand for a fey months. During his absence Fuller came back, and they had a “tiff.” On the night of the shooting he was in bed, at II p.m., when shots were fired. When witness ran downstairs he found the girl and Fuller lying between the house and the gate. He then saw Walker in the street. Walker said, “Oh, Dave, I’m done.” He had forbidden Fuller to come to the house, but his stepdaughter asked that he be allowed to do so, as they had been playmates together.