TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144854, 4 December 1915, Page 7

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

WOMAN AND CHILD KILLED. MAN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE. PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, Dec. 3. A ghastly tragedy occurred to-night, when a half-caste named George Gordon, a labourer by occupation, murdered a single woman named Martha MKee, with whom he had been living for eighteen months, and also their child, aged eight months. It, appears that Gordon attacked the child with tho butt end of a hatchet, smashing its head practically to pulp. Ho then attacked M‘Kee with the hatchet, inflicting terrible injuries, and both victims died in the hospital shortly after admission. Tho murderer afterwards cut his own throat from car to ear with a razor, and slashed liis abdomen, inflicting a great wound, and he lies in the hospital in a dying condition. There is every indication of a deliberate and sudden attack. Gordon and the woman lived in a room in Hobson Street, on tho first floor, the room overlooking the street. Nothing was known of the tragedy until a sister of M'Kee called and found the doors and windows locked. There was another child, aged about 21 years, in the room, apparently tho child of Gordon’s marriage, the whereabouts of his wife being unknown. Gordon did not attack this child, and MTCee’s sister succeeded .in getting her to push the key under tho door, and she thus gained admission. Very little is known of Gordon’s antecedents. He came to Auckland from Kihikihi seme weeks ago, and a letter addressed to his mother at Kihikihi refers to his intention to do something violent in a definite way to the children, who were left alone in the room this morning. Shortly after 11 o’clock Gordon entered the house and went upstairs. . ■ The landlord states that he did not see him again. The'woman MKee returned about 3 o’clock, and the landlord states that during the next couple of hours the only sound,from Gordon s mom was as if a bed was being moved. There was no scream nor sohnd of a struggle. Gordon is sinking rapidly.