SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN CLYDE QUAY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2228, 14 August 1914, Page 4

SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN CLYDE QUAY

MAN SHOOTS BIS WIFE AND THEN "' HIMSELF VICTMS IN A PRECARIOUS - , CONDITION SENSATION IN A BOARDING HOUSE A shocking tragedy occurred in a house in Clyde Quay last night in which a man attempted the murdqr of his wife by shooting, and later attempted his own' life. Both aro at present In the Hospi- ' ■ tal in a critical condition and Buffering from bullet wounds in the head. The , victims of the tragedy are Mr. and Mrs. ' William Mullins, of 102 Clyde Quay. No' Eye.wltne«ses. : There were no eye-witnesses to the occurrence, but from what could lie gathered from various sources it would, appear that Mr. Muilins was just about to depart for Makara, where ho* was* em- ' ployed. His wife apparently, went with . nun to the door leading to the back yard, where, it is stated, the two had words. Mr. Muilins then fired the first shot at ma wife and she rushed inside,' screaming, and into the room of one of the - • boarders, Mrs. Palliser. : Muilins followed her-inside the room, ■■ and fired another shot, Mrs. Palliser, . terror-stricken, rushed screaming, unstairs. Mullins then, it is said, shot him- >. : : sell, and as the bullet did not take ef-v iect, he crept down to the basement and again fired- at himself. , ■ ,The Son's Story. . The little son of the couple was in bed at the time the affair occurred. He states that he heard his mother and tather talking in tho yard, after which'-- 5 - a shot rang out and he heard his mother :•"• ■ Eoreamiug and come rushing inside. The Vl lad was naturally very much alarmed and ■'. ■■ rushed out in the street'where he told a. young man named Qowor that eom.e- . tiling terrible had happened. .\ . " Connor, in his' account 'of what fol. lowed, says that ho msbed upstairs, and ■•- on going into one of the rooms saw Mrs.-' "'■■• Mil lms lying bleeding on the-floor. Mrs. • Palhser was orouched terror-stricken in another part of the room and Muilins '-■•■' was just rising from the floor and telling •' ' Mrs. Palliser to get out of-the room. • (vonnor rushed out and telephoned for " the police. , . ''.-: ' _- ■•■■< There were five women boarders on the v top floor of the house and these were , naturally considerably upset" at the 'oc- ''''■' ourence. Their story of the tragedy was' ■'•. -.-. that ]urt about nine o'clock they heard \ shots, followed by a terrible scream, and,-■ . a few moments later :two more shots rang: ' . .7 ' The shots i were apparently fired from ■ ' a 22malibro revolver found on the prem. : ises. V '■■ :■;.. ■■ ~ ■ "-...,- i Arrival of the Police. : '-.. Constable M'Kelvey arrived shortly after on the scene accompanied by Sergts. Taylor and Kelly and some constables! They - - discovered the body of Mrs. Mullins ly- , ing half way under the bed'and half way , out of the,doorway> while the trail of the :ragedy 'was apparent in the room, and from the room to the top of the stairs and •~ : out into .the back yard. No sign could " be fonnd of Mullins, but on going down stairs-he was discovered lying on the floor of the, dining room with bullet wounds above the : temple. • ■ \-' ' "Later the-ambulance arrived, with Drs, Henry and Elliott. - The former exam- • ined the husband and found two bnlletwounds apparently fired at very close range. The base of the skull was frac- > - .- ured, and the doctor said he held little iope for his recovery. Dr. Elliott, who at- •■ ' tended Mrs. Mnllins, found her uncon- ' scions and suffering .from, two 'bullet wounds, one in forehead nne'onej'in the" throat.- Both hn?band and wife were removed almost immediately to the hospital. -. ■ ' The Victims gf the Tragedy. The cause of the terrible affair is not known yet. It is stated by ; their young son that the two frequently quarrelled. Mrs. Mullins is said to-be a very .hard working woman and her husband a labourer at Makara; Ho did not live con- •; stantly with her, staying most of hie ' time out at Makara. Ho is said to be of a morose nature and seldom had much' to say. Tho s two arrived from England - some nine months ago, iffs. Mnllins taking over the house at Clyde Quay and living by,, taking in boarders. Both were middle aged. Mullins was born war Not- . tinghamshire, England, and was one time employed ins al signalman -in the Great Northern' Railway. Co. ; ''>: