MURDER OF CHILDREN

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1927, Page 9

MURDER OF CHILDREN

INQUEST ON THE GORE CASE CRIME ADMITTED BY MOTHER. QUESTION OF SANITY RAISED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Gore, Last Night. The adjourned inquest touching the deaths of Elizabeth Jean Rae, aged 4J years, Thomas Rae (3 years), George Alexander Rae (21 months) and Mary Tryphena Rao (8 months) was concluded at tho Gore courthouse before the Coroner, Mr. A. Martin. Mr. Eustace Russell appeared for Mrs Rae, while Inspector Bird conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police. William Simpson Cunningham, farm hand, gave evidence that he knew George Cochrane Rae and his wife, Tryphena Clifford Rae, who were employed as a married couple on the farm of W. Morris at Kaiwera. On April 11 last, he saw Rae at work ploughing until about noon. He then saw him unyoke his horses and go home. About a quarter of an hour later Rae came back to his place, riding a horse, and, owing to what Rae said, witness returned to the house with him. He entered Rae’s house and saw three children lying on a bed. They were dead and another child was on tho bed dying. Mrs. Rae was also lying on the bed. Dr. J. E. Rogers said that on April 11, in answer to a call, he proceeded to Kaiwera. On entering the cottage he found the dead bodies of four children, one of whom was lying in the kitchen. The other three were lying beside their mother on the bed. Mrs. Rae was in a semi-conscious condition, and on examination he found her to be suffering from a wound under tho left breast apparently produced by a bullet. He dressed the wound and had her removed to the Gore hospital. He then examined the four children, who all had bullet wounds. Thomas had one wound two inches below the left breast, Mary Tryphena had two wounds in the stomach, one two inches long below the left breast, and another three inches long below the left breast, also one exit wound in the middle of the back about an inch from the spine. Elizabeth Jean had two wounds in the body, one four inches below the breast, one on the left side, and one three inches long below the breast, while there were three exit wounds on the left side of the back. All the wounds were discoloured black.

Constable Shugrue gave corroborative evidence. The Coroner found the children met their deaths through bullet wounds, inflicted by their mother, causing haemorrhage. Mrs. Rae was then charged with murder before Mr. Dixon, S.M. The evidence followed the lines of that at the coronial inquiry, Dr. Rogers further stating Mrs. Rae admitted shooting tho children to him.

Speaking as a general practitioner, said the doctor, and from general observation of Mrs. Rae while in hospital, he could not certify to her being insane. Sergeant Packer supplied a statement taken from Mrs. Rae while she was in hospital, admitting that she shot the children and referring at length to alleged domestic disturbances throughout her married life, culminating in her decision to shoot the children. She alleged cruelty against her husband and also admitted attempting to take her own life. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court at Invercargill for trial, to be kept under observation meanwhile by mental experts.