A MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2774, 9 February 1895, Page 4

A MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Melbourne, Feb. 7

A shocking discovery was made at the Railway Crescent, South Melbourne this week. The neighbours noticed a foul smell emanating from a small shop occupied by an elderly woman named Mrs Perkins and her daught sr. Ihe door was broken in, and the mother was found sitting in a phair and the daughter lying at her feet, both bodies being decomposed. In the centre of the room was a dish of charcoal. They had evidondy committed suicide. Nothing had been seen of them since Friday. Both were educated people, the danghter being a music teacher, but they were in poor circumstances, and the Briber had on several occasions informed foer neighbours that they had not known wUi re to get food, Lately they received aid from the Benevolent Society. A pathetic letter was found written by the daughter asking Cod’s forgiveness for the deed she was about to commit. They were deeply in debt, and she could not bear to see her mother turned into the streets. Mrs Perkins once possessed a considerable sum of money, but lost it in bank failures. A t the inquest on the bodies of JVfra and Miss Peri'ins, the medical testimony went in the direction of dispelling the theory that both had died together or about the aamp time. It was alleged that the mother had been dead fully seven days, while her daughter could not havo been dead more than two days. The stomaob of the mother is being analysed for fracos of poison.