THE RAKAIA TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1728, 30 December 1887, Page 2

THE RAKAIA TRAGEDY.

Regarding the shocking ooourrenoe which took plaoa In the Rakaia river, and brief details of which were given In our issue of yesterday, addltlonalpartlculafsare supplied by our South Rakaia correspondent. Shortly after midday on Thursday : a report gained currency In the township ■ that a woman had baen seen throwing her ohildren from the Kakaia bridge Into the river. Numbers of persons rushed to the ep Aand It waa found tbat the rumor was not qalte eorreot. The real facts of the oase were : — Mr Thompson's children observed a woman wulk into the river with a little boy some 4 or 5 years of age aod the child was heard to cry out " Don't drown me, mother." The ohildren who were witnesses of the affair gave the alarm and assistance was sent for to the township. The mother, m the meantime took off some of her underclothing and tying the boy to herself again went into the wa'er. The water m the river just now (s rather low, bat there are many deep pools. Io consequence of tho alarm that had been given, Constable Blaok and a number of others, Immediately proceeded to the scene of the shooking aff&lr. No traos of the woman or child was to be seen though the stream where the woman was ■eon to enter, wps minutely examined. It wa9 then deolded to drag the pools, and for- this purpose boys were sent to cut some long flax stloks. On reaching a sand hiilook, where the fljx grew, the buys found the mother and child lying there m an unconscious state, the child being secured to its mother's body, with the l&tter's underolotbing. Tbe spot where the pair was found waa some thirty yarda from the stream, bo the unfortunate wrman mast have altered her purpose and oraw'ed away as far as Bhe waß able from the water, In which she evidently designed to put an end to her own life and that of her child. Mother and boy were at onoa taken into the township, and Dr Withers, who was In Rakaia at the time was summoned. Unfortunately, too great a time had elapsed, to resuscitate the boy, even had there been a chance from the first of lfe being restored. The mother was brought to, but she ha? remalaed In a semi-conscious state. She la evidently about 30 years of age and was recognised aa Martha Dalzlel, widow of the late Mr T Da'ziel who was barman at Rakaia some years ago, and who had died ! at 'Ohrlstchuroh recently. It is stated that she has only recently been discharged from the As>lum, where ahe has been ■ oonfined on account of illness, it is also > said, more than onoe. The poor child who had been drowned was a fine ( little follow. A Ohristohurch paper aays : — Mrs Dalzlel is the widovr of Mr Tom Dalaiel, who at one time was ' lloensee of '.he Oxford Hotel, Ohriatchuroh i Ria death oocurred somewnat suddenly ) about three months ago. Mrs Da'z'el was ; of rather intemperate habits, and about , ten days ago was before the Police Oourc I m Obristobnrob on a charge of stealing a . diamond m* atd a pair of boot?, the property of the lioeneee of the Darfield iloiol. It was apparent the theft bad > been committed while the woman was , under the it.fluenoe of drink. She was ; placed under probation for a term, and ( she went to Dunsandel after her release from custody. A telegram was received iv town this morning stating that the woman h*d been i m a state of ooma since she had been i fouud. Dr Tweed was sent for and left , for Rakaia by the eleven o'clook train.