THE MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11125, 10 February 1886, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

(PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION ) I (Per s.s. Te Anau at the Bluff.) Melbourne, February 2. A case of murder and attempted suioide oocurred on Tuesday last at Ooburg, iu the family of Mr Hainpson, for several years armourer at Pen tridge. It appears from the confession of one of his daughters that she oonepirsd, with three of her Bisters, all young women, and her mother, to kill a younger eiater, aged nine, preparatory to committing suioide, in order to escape temptation. The child's throat was cut by Mrs Hamp* son, while the child was held by her sisters. Then the sisters inflicted severe oats on eaoh other's arms, from which they nearly bled to death. A strong taint j of insanity runs in the family, and it is said that lately the girls have been reading the Pall Mall Gazette disclosures, which have affected their intellects, causing them to imagine they were all victims of designing men. On Wednesday an inquest was held on tbe body of the child, but it had to be postponed, as the sisters were unable to attend. The inquest was adjourned for a mouth. The eldest son of the family then showed signs of insanity, and a dootor locom-. mended his beinglocked up. Since then, with the greatest difficulty, he bas been persuaded to consume sufficient food to keep him alive, he being under an impression that there is a conspiracy to poison him.