MAN SHOOTS WIFE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 170, 21 July 1942, Page 2

MAN SHOOTS WIFE

IMITATING AN EMU

TRAGIC PRACTICAL JOKE

O.C. SYDNEY, July 15. A practical joke ended tragically by a husband shooting his wife dead, thinking that he was killing an emu. The tragedy occurred at night at a Government charcoal kiln near Narrandera, of which William Allen, 34, is watchman. His wife, Mrs. Pearl Mavis Allen was 35. The family had been discussing the presence of emus in the district. What happened later was related by George Albert Clarke, Mrs. Allen's nephew. He said his uncle was sitting by the fire. His aunt had gone outside. He heard a "funny noise," and the dogs barking. Going outside, he saw his aunt walking up the track some distance from the house. She said, "I thought I heard an emu, and was going to have a look." She and the boy returned to the house, but Mrs. Allen went out again, and a little later the "funny noise" and the barking of the dogs was heard again. The boy said to his uncle: "Auntie says that sounds like emus." They went outside to listen. Mr. Allen said he thought it was a cockatoo. An object moved in the bush, and the boy called in a low voice from the gate: "Uncle, there's something white." Mr. Allen got his gun. The boy pointed out the white object, and Mr. Allen cocked his gun and went to the sliprails. The boy followed, and saw the object moving tov/ards them. The gun went off, and then the boy heard his uncle cry out: "Oh, God! I have shot my wife." Beside Mrs. Allen's body was a tin, and through the bottom of it was a piece of cord. By pulling the string Mrs. Allen had been able to make a noise like that made by an emu.