A TRAGIC DISCOVERY.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14471, 10 March 1913, Page 5

A TRAGIC DISCOVERY.

HUSBAND FINDS WIFE MURDIiRED

• When some .weeks ago the .neiyst'tftas received Vfaiy cable at Teignmouth of the death of Mrs Wills, at the .age of 27, at Benoni, terakpa.i, Transvaal, it was not suspected that there were tragic circumstances. The story brought by the mail, however, is a terrible one. Deceased was the ivile of a member of a well known Teignmouth family, Mr Sidney Charles Wills, who went out as a volunteer in the Imperial Yeomainxy during the lat© South j Afiicari*'war,' and upon, his return was presenteS1; with a gold watch. - Tho\ tragedy occurred between 11 p.m. aflc£ nlridriight. on Thursday, December 12t1hT~*!aSr'Wills left his home to compete" in the air rifle Bisley at Johannesburg-, ids" young wife seeing him off. He returned by a 'train, and reached home; shortly after midnight. Entering the passage, he wheeled his machine to thei accustomed spot, and noticed that the dining room lightwas burning. As he passed the dining room the door of which wu« partly op-en,, he saw Dave Roberts, who was a friend of his, and rented a room in'his house, lying on the floor, breathing heavily. As Roberts had, it appears,. been drinking excessively of late and had lost his job at the Brafcpan mine, where he had been employed as a miner, the Teignmothian came to the conclusion that his friend was lying helplessly drunk. A minute or two later he returned to the 3ining room Avith the object of getting Roberts to his own bedroom. He then noticed the bboteH feet of a woman projecting beyond the door, sad on looking behind wus horrified to- find that his wife lay stretched on the floor in a pool of blood, hei face "being almost blown away. He then turned roxmel and saw that Roberts was also lying in a • pool of Blood, which was oozing from the right side of his head. By Tiis side lay a Browning pistol.

Tlie Husband rushed into an adjoining bedroom j occupied by his three little sons, aged four.and three years respective, ly. The two younger ones were asleep, but the eldest "was sitting up in his bed ; and in a scared voice he saiH, "I am soglad you have come home, daddy. I am so frightened. There was such a big bang just now." The father hurried out into tfie street to call the police. Roberts was still alive, but unconscious, and he was taken to the cottage hospital, where, however, lie died about an hour later. It was seen from the first that his condition was hopeless. There were no signs of a struggle in the room. Two bullets had entered close to each other on the left side of Mrs Will's face, and the scorched appearance of the skin snowed that one at least had been fired at very close range. "Roberts was shotthrough £h~e right- side of the* head.

Various conjectures are rife, but the most likely one is that the deceased wot. man spoke to Roberts al>out his intemperate habits and asserted that He was out of work in. consequence of this. In a fit of rage, Roberts, it is &ssumed 3 drew the pistol from his pocket, fired twice at the txnfortiinate woman, and then turned £he weapon tipon himself.