SHOT HIS FATHER

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1935, Page 4

SHOT HIS FATHER

BOY TAKES OWN LIFE OLDER MAN BADLY HURT TAMAKI FARM TRAGEDY SON NOT LIVING AT HOME EMPLOYEES -TELL’ STORY By Telegraph—-Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A dairy farm at East was the scene of a tragedy shortly after noon to-day when in broad daylight Peter Hobson, aged .18, fired two shots at his . father, wounding, him critically with the second, and then took his own life. Peter Hobson, senr., was admitted to the Auck-' land Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound between the eyes. His condition on admission was grave. The case presents several tragic aspects.. The boy, who was known as “Sonny” Hobson, lived with his mother who had been living apart from her . husband for some time. , ■ This afternoon Mrs. Hobson was driven to Otahuhu to see her son’s dead body which had been brought there from the farm, while at the . same 1 time doctors and nurses'at the hospital werefighting to save her husband’s life. Hobson’s farm is one of 97 acres. Some months ago Mrs. Hobson left the farm taking her tw’O sons .with her, Peter being the elder. She has since been employed as a housekeeper by Mr. Cocker, . of Point Chevalier. Two brothers, Clifford and Noel Mui- . lins, engaged by Hobson as farmhands, have been living on the farm with Him., Early this morning Hobson and the Mui- . lins 'brothers rose to do the milking and later Hobson drove his van into the city to deliver milk to town suppliers. > On his return 'both he and. Noel Mullins wept to their respective rooms for a rest. • AZCARRYING PEA RIFLE. A little later Clifford Mullins, who had been engaged on some farm work, returned to the house. He - had been there only a few minutes when he saw Hobson’s son walking across file farmyard carrying a pea rifle. Mullins first informed his brother and then went to warn Hobson. Noel Mullins immediately went to the front room and when he opened the door, discovered the, boy still holding the pea rifle. “Young Hobson raised a gun and levelled it at me,”'Mullins said. “I did not wait to speak to him but ducked back quickly out of the room. I found Hobson ' / - and when we returned to .the room we found the boy had gone off through the window. We searched the farmyard without finding any trace of him and then Hobson and my brother got into a van intending to look for him, down the road.” ’ \

According to both the Mullins brothers Hobson had driven the van only a matter of 100 yards from the farmhouse when a shot rang out and a bullet drilled a hole in the bodywork of the vehicle' just above Hobson’s head. ' “The ‘'boss’ stopped the van,” Clifford Mullins said.. “I told him not to. get out but he would not listen to me. He stood at the side of the drive with his hand shading jfiis eyes looking put over . the paddocks in the direction from which the shot had come but within a few seconds another, shot camer"' : . 7" “Just at that time I think my brother and I 'both saw ‘Sonny! Hobson in a paddock about 50 or 60 yards away with his gun to his shoulder. We both called out to Hobson but we were too-late. He dropped almost as we called out with a bullet wound right between his eyes.” TAKEN TO DOCTOR. • ■ • * ft. The two young men at that moment" did not give another thought to young Hobson. They could see their employer Was still alive and, as carefully as possible, they placed him in the “van and then drove as fast as they could to Papatoetoe, where Hobson was attended by. Dr. Gilberd. By that time Hobson was unconscious and Dr. Gilberd, after dressing the wound in which - the bullet was I 'still lodged, ordered an z ambulance and'had him sent to hospital.- The shot had apparently been .fired from an . angle and the bullet, entering at the forehead, had travelled in the direction of the ear.' The police were notified. No arduous search for young Hobson was necessary. Noel Mullins directed the constables to the spot from which he had seen the second shot fired and about’ ;20 yards further back the boy’s body was discovered lying’ oh the grass. A bullet had passed right through '•his -head and the pea rifle was lying on the ground beside him. .• - Young Hobson was wearing only a shirt and trousers-and was in his stockinged feet. A search revealed a bicycle and overcoat hidden in a paddock nearer the road, while his shoes were later discovered hidden behind a hedge at the rear of the house. * . ■

It was subsequently established the boy had cycled' from the city arriving at the farm only a few minutes after his father’s return.

• Hobson is an Englishman who has been in New Zealand for a number of years. He saw active service with the East Lancashire Regiment in France and had a notable war record.

Since coming to Auckland he has been engaged in dairy farming at Howick and Manurewa and took over his present farm on lease about five years ago.