THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 3926, 21 August 1880, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

The inquest on the body of Matthew Henderson was held at Wellington yesterday (Friday.) During the course of the inquiry the following letters were read :—: — "Wellington, 17th August, 1880. " This letter is to be given to the person in Christchurch calling hereself Mrs Henderson. " You have produced a certificate of marriage ami laid an information against me for deserting you. In the first place you knew I was going away because I told you, and I also told you that I was not coming back to Christchurch any more. And, secondly, you know that you are not my lawful wife. When you enticed me into marrying you, I had a wife to whom I was lawfully married, which you knew, and I left Enpland to escape a prosecution for bigamy. I sinned, but repented long ago, and although you deceived me, I stood to you, and, for tho sake of the two children, have submitted to a life of agony, of torture of the worst description, from you, a woman 20 years older than I am, a shrewd, calculating woman, a modern Jezebel of the lowest type and worst description", a regular, attendant at church and partaker of God's, sacrament, but a hypocrite of the very, worst kind. You devoted your life to ruin me, and now you have accomplished it both body and soul, ag you hope j but I am not afraid to trust myself to God's mercy. Oh, when I think of the past and of ' your hypocrisy, how you have tortured me in your quiet, nagging, and uncharitable words — cruel words — which I have seldom answered, and how you have led the outside world to deem you an angel of light, and how you have succeeded, it makes me think there surely cannot be a God cognisant of such cruelty, such sin, or He would never have allowed it. lam now going to die, and I leave you to the remorse, of conscience — if you have any — that you are, my murderer. Yes, you have murdered me — for I told you I had sinned — that every man's hand had been against me, and what a hard struggle I had to keep the home to-, gether, and to make you and the children comfortable, and I told you if I was stopped it would bo my ruin ; and you promised me, you would say nothing. At the same time you were glorying within yourself how you would gloat over my downfall. What is it that is in you — it cannot be lußt, at your time of life, 60 years of age ? My God forgive you as I do — the dear children whom in years gone by I have loved, but whose affections you have weaned from me, and who, although you have taught them to treat me with contempt, are old enough to have seen your treatment of me, and will yet live to curse you. 2 I cannot say any more, so goodbye, and may God yet bring you to your senses, and in His great mercy forgive you for Christ's sake. Amen. (Signed) "M. Henderson." The other, also in Henderson's handwriting, ran as under : — "Wellington, 18th Augustl 1880. " My dear Mrs Blyth, " I deem it my duty to ask your forgivonegs, and to state' that I am not the villain you would believe me to be. I took your daughter from you, but I love her and she loves me, and it is the first time in my life that I have known what love is. It will be necessary for me to go somewhat back in my history, and explain to you that when very young I got married to a young lady whom I thought I loved, and wo lived \ happily together for three months, when she, eloped with another man. I sold off my home, and went to lodge with a widow who' had three children— a shrewd, calculating woman of the world, twenty years my senior. I was very young and very foolish. She enticed me into marrying her, and I did — committed bigamy — and to e3cape the conse : querices I had to leave England. I could see my folly almost before the ink: was dry that signed the marriage register, and, although I repented., J a,tnok to my bond. I done my best for the woman Avho had deceived me, and for tho past fifteen years have submitted to a life of torture at the hands of a woman who calls herself Mrs Henderson. No need for me to tell you more of this. I met your daughter and knew what pure love was. You saw it, and have seen it all along, and have spoken of it. Why have you interfered er helped to interfere? We have resolved to die together, seeking ajul preferring to trust ourselves to, G.ocPs mercy than to man's. You. wusfc forgive ua for Christ's sake." (Signed) "M. Henderson." In a very shaky hand, follow these words j— M Dear Mother,— Forgive me. Kiss my sisters and brother for me. I may not have loved wisely, but too well." (Here there is a cross, and the deceased's hand.writing is taken up as follows) :— "QQp(V-byo, dear mother, your erring daughter, (Signed in Miss BjythW handwriting) "M. J. Blyth." At the foot of the letter, deceased again takes up the pen, and writes— "l wrote from the cross. Jenny could not finish it. U\^ managed to sign her name. " We (Post) have Upon, lnfo;mie# by Mr E. W. Lowq^ tiieiß'esidehi Secretary of the Austrian Mutual Provident Society, that Henderson insured his life in the Society for the sum of £1000 on the 14th August, 1879, hx\% that in terms of the policy $# assurance is void, he having Qqmmlt^e.d sujpide within one year and thirty days' from, the date of

the policy. The clause in the policy rnns thus: — "If the assured shall, whether sane or insane, die by his own hands, within one year and thirty days from the date hereof . . . . then and in any such case this policy and the assurance hereby made shall be void. " If the deceased man had waited till the 15th Sept. next the Society would have had to pay over the amount. It now also transpires that shortly before the tragedy the deceased endeavoured to obtain strychnine from Mr Barraud, chemist, saying that he wanted it for the purpose of killing cats, but was unsuccessful, Mr Barraud's assistant stating that he- could only let Henderson have the poison by going through the legal formalities. A Press Association telegram from Christchurch gives the following additional particulars in regard ,to Henderson's career in that city ; — Henderson has on aeveral occasions been in Court here, but being a.plausible man, and getting the blind side of the clergymen and others, was rather a prominent figure in local matters. His last escapade has not, however, surprised the majority of people here. It is Known he always carried poison. His statement about his wife is an atrocious libel. He had taken the utmost precautions to deceive her, stating that he was going to Dnnedin, and contriving to have messages sent from tho South aa though he was really travelling.

(per united press association,) Wellington, Aug2o. The inquest on the body of Matthow Henderson, who committed suicide on Wednesday, was concluded this afternoon. Letters were proceed Bhowing that the act was premeditated. After two hours deliberation the jury returned a verdict of felo de se.

Attention la directed to the notice published by Mr George Beaven. That well known and respected resident has opened an office in Victoria Avenue, next to Mr P. R. Jackson's, and will be prepared to undertake a general commission business. Mr Boaven'a probity is familiar to all, and wo trust he will receive a liberal share of support.