TERRIBLE TRAGEDY NEAR AUCKLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 809, 4 December 1882, Page 3

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY NEAR AUCKLAND.

[by telegraph.] Auckland, To-day. A terrible tragedy occurred yesterday morning at Howick, fifteen miles from here. A farm laborer on Mr David Nathan’s estate, named James Crowley, murdered his wife, Ellen Crowley, with a box-iron. Crowley and his wife lived in a four or five-roomed house, about 100 yards from the residence of Mr Nathan’s manager, Mr Prater, and the latter was alarmed about nine o’clock a.m. by seeing Crowley's daughter, a girl of fourteen, running over to her step-mother’s house, saying that her father was killing Mrs Crowley, her stepmother. On going up to the house. Prater saw Mrs Crowley lying on the floor dead with her face battered in. Prater did not arrest Crowley, but directing two of the men on the estate to keep him in sight, rode off to apprise special Constable M'Gill. In a village on the road, at about half way, the constable and Prater met Crowley apparently going to Howick with two men from the estate. Dragging his footsteps some little distance, McGill, who has been well acquainted with Crowley for some years past, at once accosted him, and said “ I am sorry to hear of this bad business, Crowley, I must now arrest you on a charge of murdering your wife,” cautioning him at the same in the usual manner as to any statements he might make. Crowley replied “I could not help it, she kept nagging at me all night ” The whole party returned to Praters residence. The prisoner was subsequently conveyed to Auckland, and lodged in a police cell. Crowley had 5 been eight years at Mr, Nathan’s place altogether. Ellen Crowley was his second wife, and the little girl was Crowley’s child by his first wife. Some disparity of years existed between the couple, Mrs Crowley being about 47. There was no issue of the second marriage. For years past the ill-matched couple have led a wretched life. The husband taking a glass occasionally, but never to excess, his wife having the reputation (which was tolerably well known in the district) of having an aggravating way of “nagging” at her husband, being somewhat of a termagant. The great source of trouble was the step-daughter, and it is said that the girl was harshly treated by Mrs Crowley. One of the party who visited the house yesterday says that the apartment which did duty for the girl’s bedroom was tartly filled with lumber. There was a blanket, a coverlid, and something on the floor which appeared to be an apology for a mattrass. Indeed, the whole house had an air of discomforture and slovenliness. Growler clung to his child, and his affection for the little girl seems to have been a prominent trait in his character, and his action on behalf of the child led to continual broils between husband and wife. The “cat and dog” life got to such a pass that Crowley was advised to get a separation from his wife. Dr Fitzgetald was of opinion from the dreadful charactrr o the wounds that the woman must have died almost immediately