MURDER AND SUICIDE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 56, 30 November 1921, Page 6

MURDER AND SUICIDE

TRAGIC END OF CRIMINAL CAREER SHOCKING TRAGEDY IN ABEL SMITH STREET MAN KILLS WIFE WITH BOY SCOUT HATCHET Ono of the most callous tragedies in the history of crime in the city occurred shortly after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when a man named Edward Alfred Foreman, a notorious criminal, inflicted frightful wounds on his wife with a Boy Scout hatchet in Abel Smith Street, and completed his fell work by taking his own life with poison, tho two bodies being found about 5 o’clock lying across each other in the yard of an unoccupied house. Tha bodies were discovered by a boy named Leslie Bushby, who resides at 3 Clayton Avenue. Playing about with come companions, young Bushby ran through the grounds surrounding the unoccupied house, and came, upon the gruesome sight of a man and’ a woman lying dead in the back. yard. The lad. at once communicated his discovery, and the police were advised. Sergeant- Mcllolm, officer in charge of the Lower Taranaki Street Police Station, at once proceeded to the scene of the tragedy, and found file bodies in the yard, the man’s body lying across that of the woman. In tho right hand of the man was a flash, containing liquid which is thought tn have been prussic acid, mixed with whifiky. The remains were removed to tne morgue, where an examination was made by tho police surgeon, Dr. Henry. A DESPERATE MURDER. The examination revealed that the murder had been a most cold-blooded and deliberate one. The instrument used was a brand new Boy Scout hatchet, which had evidently been purchased specially for the purpose, and which was found by tho police 'on tho scene of the tragedy. Tho pointed end of the hatchet had been used with fearful effect, there being no fewer than fourteen wounds noon the body of the murdered woman. Nino of these were in the region of the heart, while two blows had penetrated the skull on the forehead. There were also deep wounds on the arms and hands, pointing to the fact that the woman had attempted to fend off the fatal blows whicji had been ruined upon her by the infuriated murderer. JEALOUSY THE MOTIVE.

From correspondence in the possession of the police, it is quite clear that Foreman had premeditated the tragedy for at least a week, jealousy being responsible for tho shocking crime. By some pretence or another, tho desperate man must have inveigled his wife into the yard of the unoccupied, house, and there cruelly and foully murdered her, afterwards ending his own life by a dose of rapidly-acting poison. A NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL.

Tho murderer was 38 years of age, navmg been born in Dngland in 18S3. Ho was a notorious criminal, and had been convicted three times for serious offences in England before coming to the Dominion. Upon arriving in this country he continued his career of crime, and first, came under the notice of the police in Wellington in 1916. On November 22, 1919, Foreman’s then wife, Alice Foreman, was granted a decree nisi against him in the Divorce' Court, tffe decree being made absolute on March 31, 1920. There was one daughter of that marriage, the mother ’being given custody of her. Foreman was a clever criminal, and was concerned in some sensational jewellery robberies here and elsewhere. lie was discharged from gaol on March 18, 1921, and he subsequently parried a Miss Jean Bows, a waitress, who was formerly employed at the Grand Central Ilo.el, and whoso life fie ended so tragically yesterday. The marriage was unhappy, and recently Ills wife left him. Yesterday morning ho was summoned to appear at tho Magistrate’s Court on December 5, to answer a complaint made by his wife, whereby she sougff. separation and maintenance orders.

It is presumed that Foreman met his wife after the luncheon hour yesterday, and induced her to occompanv him to the scene of the tracedy. Sirs. Foreman was employed in a p,holographic etudio in the cily, and was a woman of comely appearance. Foreman, who was sft. 9iu. in height and wFighed lOst. 71b., had his grin packed in rMidiness to proceed to work at a freezing works engagement.