THE TRAGEDY AT WOODVILLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2930, 13 February 1884, Page 3

THE TRAGEDY AT WOODVILLE.

" [Bx Tklbqbapu.J " • Napibb, Feb. 12. |* A visitor to the scene of the recent '> Orrnondville murder thus describe* what he 11 saw upon entering the cottage :— Tbe bedroom is on the right side or the front, door, • tho living room on the left. In the latter 1 room, besides ordinary furniture, there was ft * small iron bedstead. It does not appear that ? anyone slept on that bedstead, although * articles of clothing were upon it. In the > bedroom ware two bedsteads, one small iron * one, capable of holding three children, | and an ordinary double bedstead. The sight that met my horrified eyes when I 1 entered the bedroom made my blood ran cold. • On the small bedstead there lay three children, naked. One of them vat lying on the • ] nearest aids of the bed. On her templo was > a Urge bruise, as if sbe had bean struok with | some heavy blunt instrument. After inquiries ' fully established this faot m my miud, and ' led me to beliere that the proximate cuuae of 1 death was a gash across the throat from ear '• tj ear, vrhioh had been in£icted after the | viotim was stunned. Lying next to tho poor 1 murdered girl was a loy apparently ' about three yean of ige. Hit, arm 1 was thrown around the neok of his ' dead sister as if embracing, a position that 1 had evidently been arrange} after death by ' their father and murderer. On tbe boy's temple was a bruise timiltr t> that described oo the girl's temple, and his throat was also cat right across. Tho third child, a boy 1 about tea year* of age, wu lying next to the two victims already refurreil to. He was ' partly on bis back ; his temple bore a similar bruise to the others, eioejt that it wa> a 1 little further back on the skull. His fingers and thumb were also bruisnd, as if he had been attempting to defend himself when slruok at, and had partially parriod off tbe blows intended to stun him. Hn had piobably been awakened by the attack on his brother and eister, but not quickly enough to escapa from his throat being also cut. On & large bed was lying the corpse of the murdered children's mother. The body was dressed on the bed, as it nat suckling the youngest child. On the mc.rdored woman's forehead were two bruiser, o ie on each side, tbe one on the left being the .mark caused by a very severe blow. Her t;hroat was cut across from ear to far. Bolide her, to complete the chapter of horrors, lay the body of tbe infant, its tbroat cut nlso.