PARTICULARS OF THE SHOCKING MURDER AND SUICIDE AT TEMUKA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3987, 2 May 1884, Page 3

PARTICULARS OF THE SHOCKING MURDER AND SUICIDE AT TEMUKA.

Timaeu, This day. The inhabitants of Temuka were horrified yesterday by tho news that a shocking murder, followed by suicide, had been committed early in the morning. The news at once took definite shape, for the facts were few and simple. Mr Charles Garland, licensee of the Arowhenua Hotel, had shot his wife and then shot himself, death in both cases being instantaneous. The news quickly reached Timaru, and a special reporter having been despatched to the scene the following were the main facts learned by him:—About daylight yesterday morning the deceased arose, and slipping on his dressing-gown proceeded upstairs and called his man servant. After receiving

an answer he was heard to go downstairs again, and before the servant had fully dressed two reports of firearms were heard. As it is not daylight till about 6 o'clock at this season of tho year, and the informant being positive that the day was just breaking, it is concluded that the time the reports were heard would be between 6.15 and 6130. Tho man servant and the women servants paid no immdiate attention to the occurrence, though more than one admits that they were a bit frightened. On one of the servants going to the room with some coffee for her mistress (as she had been in the

habit of doing) about half-past 7 o'clock, she was rather surprised and startled to find

that the bedroom door was locked, and still more startled on observing smoke issuing .from the key-hole and round the door, the smoke smelling like burned gunpowder. She immediately called up her companions, and it was decided to send for tho police, and not to break into tho room themselves. A messenger was accordingly despatched to Temuka, and on arriving at the police station he informed Constable Morton, the officer in charge, as well as he could, of the circumstances surrounding the melancholy affair. Constable Morton went out at once, first sending for Dr Hayes, and both arrived at the hotel about the same time. They at once broke in the door of Mr Garland's bedroom, and one of the ghastliest scenes ever witnessed presented itself to their horrified view. 0n the floor, at the foot of the bed, lay on its right side the body of Mr Garland, and in the bed that of Mrs Garland. Mr Garland was first looked to. On raising the body it was seen that the right side of the face was blown away by a gunshot. Underneath, the body lay the weapon with which the terrible deed had been committed, a double-barrelled breech-loading fowling piece. The wound was of such a nature that death must have been instantaneous, and the position in which the body was found showed that it was so. Tho deceased was dressed only in his nightshirt, drawers, and dressing-gown. In- the bed she had slept in, covered with the bedclothes, lay the body of Mrs Garland, with a fearful wound in the back of the head visible to those entering the room. In her

case too death must have been instantaneous, the whole of tho upper side of the head being blown away. On examining the gun a plait or coil of false hair was found fastened to the trigger guard, with a loop which was bound round the foot of the man. The bed and the room generally, as may be imagined, presented a sickening appearance. Actually how the deed was done can only be surmisscd, but everything points to the supposition that the man deliberately shot his wife as she slept, placing tho muzzle of the gun close to her head, and afterwards fixing the lock of hair to the trigger destroyed himself by firing of the second barrel with his foot. Dr. Hayes having examined the bodies and pronounced life extinct, Constable Morton made search for anything

that would throw light on this painful catastrophe, and in one of the pockets of the deceased's coat found a letter, which, however, throws no light upon the motive of tho deed. , The letter, which was in an unfastened envelope, was addressed to Mr Broom, and Constable Morton, knowing that Inspector Brohamhad been acquainted with Mr Garland in Christchureh, and supposing the letter was intended for Inspector Brohain, sent it into Timaru. The letter is as follows:—" April 30th. —Mr Broom, sir,—This letter is to let you know that I did this act of injustice to my wife and myself and my children and God, and may God forgive me. There is £40 in the cash box which belongs to Mrs Swinton, my sister, and a cheque on tho Bank of New Zealand, Christchureh, for money I have put into the Bank of New Zealand to my own account, which belongs to Mrs Swinton, and I wish that money (70) paid to Mrs Swinton at once. There is £170 in the Bank of New Zealand

to mv account, and I wish it to be paid over to my brother Henry Garland, for to see my children right according to law, and Mr Holmes, my solicitor, to act with my brother, so that my children get what belong!, to me. If there is anything else sell all you can, and divide it between the four children—three boys and one girl .how alive. Let them all have some. _If what is written down by mo is not right according to law, the law must put it right for my four children.—John Gaeland."

It is said that Mr Garland received a telegram on Wednesday informing him that the tenant of a property in Christchureh belonging to him had failed, in consequence of which Mr Garland would lose £400 or £500. This seemed <b trouble him somewhat, but not very seriously, and it certainly seems insufficient to furnish a motive for so terrible a crime. There is some talk of domestic unhappiness as a probable cause, but there is no actual information on this point. Mr Garland was a native af Jersey, and had been in the colony about 11 years He formerly had the Railway Hotel at Christchureh.