A Tragical Affair.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1891, 1 October 1886, Page 3

A Tragical Affair.

A VIOLENT TEMPER AND WHAT IT LED TO.

Amidst the ham ol business and the stir of traffic which pervaded Elizabeth street, Mel» bourne, on September 20, a wild cry, which proceeded from one of the shops in the last block on the rightrhand side towards Flinders street station, arrested the attention of every passer-by. There was a pause, during which people looked around inquiringly, and then an old lady was seen to rash oat upon the pavement in an ecstacy of terror, calling to everyone to save her daughter, who was being killed. Seeing her eriea were understood, she ran into a wellknown oyster saloon, and was followed im« mediately by Mr Lovelock and several others. The former elicited from her. as she stood distractedly wringing her hands in a dark passage leading from the shop to the rear of the premises, that a murder was being committed on the upper room. He went up, and found on the top landing a woman, from a wound in whose throat blood was (lowing, and who soon died. A little higher up he discovered the body ol a man with his turoat ail but severed, and who speedily expired. The woman proved to be Jane Williams, and the man William Williams, her husband, who had murdered her cud then committed suicide. Ur* Ludwig, mother of the deceased woman, says she was sittiug with her daughter in the parlour. Her daughter was reading aloud Miaa Braddon’s story, entitled, “ The One Thing Needful, ’ the conclusion of which had appeared m that day's Age. Her husband looked m several times, and was very friendly, proposing that they should go to the Theatre. The laat time he came in, his wife asked what o’clock it was, and ha took his watch from his pocket with the left hand, keeping the other under an apron he always wore in the oyster shop. Mrs Wiidatns happened to look up again just then, aud observing that he had something under bis apron, she asked, in a pleasant, caressing way “What have yon got there, Billy as though she thought bs bad a surprise for her. There was no reply. He made a rapid movement towards her, and his wife went towards him, and looked at him in a questioning and alarmed manner. Then instantly he drew forth a knife and struck her ou the neck, saying, "That’s what it is. take it.” Jumping from her seat, with the blood pouring from the wound and saturating her clothing aud the carpet, she attempted to get down stairs, but had ooly descended a few stairs, when she tell to the passage below, dead. Her mother was almost paralysed with fear, but she rose and followed her daughter. Williams made no attempt to follow, aud, glancing back as she tied, she saw him sitting ou a chair cutting his own throat. The blood from the wound be inflicted on himself spurted out ou the door and wall, and, dropping from his chair, he fell ou his right side on the floor dead. William Williams was a young man ol about 26, and was a native of Kapunda (South Aus* tralia), where his relatives used to carry ou large marble works. His connections appear to have been very lespectable. Borne time ago be cams to Melbourne, and was engaged by Holder, the proprietor of the oyster shop, as assistant. He seems to have given satisfaction, and to have been very well liked. Having become acquainted with Miss Ludwig, •iater of Holder's wile, he married her eleven mouths ago, and shortly afterwards Holder, on retiring from the business, gave them the management of the shop. The two were very fond ol each other, in fact, so much attached that third patties were never very welcome in their eoeiety. Williams always seems to have had a dread of anyone paying undue attention to bis wife. She doee not appear to have given him any occasion to doubt her, but, on the contrary, the bore a remarkably good character. Independent of peculiarities of temper, which he bad iocidently manifested in regard to her, Williams was known •• » man whoee temper coaid be easily excited. About a year ago be had a difference with another man in the lien market, about the sale ol some oysters, and drew a revolver upon him A phrenologist, who examined his bead some time ago, had the temerity to till him he was a " very dangerous man, and would come to no good if he did not control hi* temper LaUly be had taken to drink very much. Mrs Williams never complained to others about these tits of intoxication. They quarrelled occasionally about it, hut not serioualy, Ou Sunday, Sept. I',), they were together all day, visiting various rOativea. They were apparently ou the best of term* with each other then, aud this friendship seems to have beeu unbroken until the perpetration of the crime.