THE ADELAIDE TRAGEDY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1218, 3 July 1885, Page 3

THE ADELAIDE TRAGEDY.

A. tragedy occurred ou June 12 in Stanley street. North Adelaide, which ended in the death of two men and one woman. The particulars of the affair have been obtained from Mrs Schutt, a neighbor. At about two o’clock in the afternoon she was coming out of her mother’s house, which is next to that where the tragedy occurred, when she met a man running out of the house who said : <! That woman is my wife, and that fellow, I have shot them both, and now I am going to shoot myself." She said to him “Oh don’t do it before me,” and van out ou the footpath. He followed her and pointing a revolver to his heart shot himself dead. Police constable Wellington was immediately sent for, and ou coming back he found the man where he had shot himself, lying on the foot path. The body was taken into the front room of the house, which has only two rooms. The dead body of a young woman was found there, wh hj a pistol shot in the middle of her breast, while her clothes were slightly burnt. The other man was found dead next door. The inference, therefore, is that the man went into the house and shot the woman that the man who was living with her ran into the next house for protection, and that the murderer followed him there and shot him in Mrs Schutt’a mother’s house. The murderer must then have gone inio the street, where he met Mrs Schutt. The couple who were living together were known by the name of O’Connor. They only took the house on the previous Tuesday, and very little is known about them, but their relations are said to live in North Ad -laide. O’Connor was a ploughman. Of the the other man nothing whatever is known. The following letter was found on him, addressed to Joseph Lines, Kooringa ;—Adelaide, June 12 —My dear father and mother.—l have Lund Lizzie and Morris. They are living together as man and wife I shall be dead by the time you get this letter Be kind to my children. 1 would not care to live, as I find that they are living together, I have bought a revolver, and am going to shoot both of them and myself. I bopo God will forgive me for what I am going to do.— Alfukd Ltxes.” The revolver used was a iivc chambered one of the ordinary type,and was found lying on the footpath some yards from Lines. All the three persons appear to have been shot in the breast, the wounds being visible.

At the-inquest th ■ medical evidence showed that these were two shot wounds each in Mvs Lines find O’Connor. A letter was found on the body of Iho woman from her husband, saying that ho whs no longer her hus band, and that she could marry whom she liked,and go wherever she wanted. In a letter found on the murderer, he attributed the whole of the trouble to his sister-in-law.