DEMENTED MOTHER MURDERS CHILD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 3 January 1930, Page 1

DEMENTED MOTHER MURDERS CHILD.

DREADFUL TRAGEDY OCCURS IN SYDNEY. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, January 2. A dreadful tragedy occurred to-day at the suburb of Stanmore, when Mrs May Osborne, aged about thirty-five, beheaded her six-year-old daughter Phyllis with a razor. She afterwards committed suicide by cutting her own throat, before a mirror. Mrs Osborne, with her husband, who is a plumber, and her daughter, came from New Zealand about two years ago and occupied a flat in Cavendish Street, Stanmore. The woman recently had a nervous breakdown and also was greatly worried at the likely prospect of her husband becoming unemployed owing to the industrial disturbances here. Her husband was not at home at the time of the tragedy, which occurred after breakfast. Mrs Osborne rushed downstairs screaming: “I’ve killed Phyllis!” and tearing at her own hair. The landlady, Mrs Matthews, tried to pacify her, and then summoned the help of the police. They discovered the girl's dead body and her mother’s in an upstairs bedroom. Mrs Matthews explained that she pursued Mrs Osborne all round the room trying to wrest the razor from I* er - Finally she saw’ her stand before the mirror and hack her own throat. Mrs Matthews hailed a man who was passing by to come to her aid, but it was then too late. It is understood that Mrs Osborne’s brother, who arrived by the Ulimaroa yesterday, had paid her a visit. The Osbornes are described as a happy family. Later. The dead woman’s name was Florence May Osborne, aged twentynine. Her husband’s name is James Francis Osborne. It is not known in what part of New Zealand they formerly lived. A tragic feature of the affair is the fact that the husband was away at work all day, and was not aware of the tragedy until he read of it in the evening papers on the way home. He immediately alighted from the tram and rushed to the morgue, where his worst fears were confirmed.