SHOCKING DOMESTIC TRAGEDY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 8

SHOCKING DOMESTIC TRAGEDY

,'v J;: '.^■ ; U.:,,,». r ;.^'"■.;,..;..;.;.' :.; EyiDENCE ; AT:raE;iNQUEST ;' (By ABsioiiUon'.];," ■■;,. : ; . \'\ . Whangarei, July 22. _At th'e-inqtiest 'On ihp death' of Mary Hammon, the victim-'of'tlio/boarding-ihouse tragedy yesterdaj', tlie evidence of a son, aged'l3," showed that the! parents' .quarrelledl,three. ago because the' father did;;no^iiko]:tlie--niother, joking •'.with the ■ lent mother, ■some money," s said(tlio,,withess7,i''aud he: ■',was annoy:ed;]i)ecauso,;sho:did'not, return' it to work ;until it was paid.''.'.' The night bbfore .'lbis mother was''-killed' his father 'rolled; mp his swag ito Kawrakawa,-', oir-Tuesday;..-'• In-- tho rmorning' (with'es's.- ; .and ..his' .father,/, who i slept ;at 4 o'c'l&kralid asked''his "mother for 'money for.-.thojou.rnejY. His mother, re-"fused,-•arid? his: father .got an, axe,- and '.wlien.'his', nibthe'r's".back was. turned '■■Wuck;heiUoh;'tKe.'lead. ' She..screamed -and-feilu.b^Jvwards.',;;;His.father'.;, then' 'struck her ;two or three times-as-.sliO; 'lay OEr-the-floor,.left -the axe buried in iher and/; shouting: "Good-bye!" liaTishedroutfof.fthe-,house. His mother save a low.moaning rafter tlieffirst/blow.. '/ '■:: Arthur 'Hainmon, aged-lSj: said that 'Ms parents",- quarrelled ,'.ai"-.good !-.deal :at, Hiines. His father'lhad'twoiweeks.pfevi■ously .tlireatene'd to do for' witness for f.ta&ing his mother's part..-'-'- - ■••''. :'•■- W. Woods (a' boarder)' said that the told,him',three;weeks.ago [•thai?:- her. husband; had -' : threatened; her tagaW. -';'^>/- : :'/--'l : ■"•■', '"■■•- ': ■ ; -Sergcaiiu Moore stated that Hammoh-, lon l)eing- : arrested said: "It was-'done 'tfor- -the best."(lt. was'"."done, for 1 the ■chil(ii;en's, - said I wouldn't jiwoiftt Sheavas cruel-to the children, at,, will all : :Com©>ouji : -now.''...-.■' i-"'lSe/Coroiier 6'a-ia that it was a shockhe. was sorry such things l>should'"happ'eri in'•Whangarei', or 1 /'else-' iiwhete. .. ■"•-'-..■ ■..''■'""•':"■'. " ■•■:' AI verdict, of .wilful-,'murder, was.-re-turned,, the accused -.was b'rViuglit before the 1 Court, chargedi-'aiid riariand!«d untiffMonday. •J-