WANGANUI TRAGEDY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1932, Page 9

WANGANUI TRAGEDY

DEMENTED MOTHER'S ACT-

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WANGANUI, This Day. An inquest was held to-day on Violetta Prances Gray (35) and Violet Erica Cooper (5), her daughter, the victims of the Gonville tragedy last Monday night.

The evidence disclosed that prior to the tragedy Mrs. Gray had been attended by Dr. Cooke'for a minor ailment, but made a good recovery. On Monday she went to the city and did some shopping, as it was her birthday. She bought a saucepan and two blade razors. On returning home, she went straight to bed. Shortly before 10 p.m. she asked her husband to go for a doctor, remarking that she could not stand the pain much longer. During the absence of' the husband the tragedy was committed. On returning, he found the eldest girl, Joan, standing at the door. She remarked, "Mummy is dead and has killed 'Paddy.' " Mrs. Gray was lying in the hall on her back in a pool of blood, and the little girl was dead in bed.i The deceased's nerves had been upset at the time of the Murchison earthquake, although she had always appeared to be normal.

Joan Cooper, aged 12 years, said she heard her mother go outside and later come into witness's bedroom jumping and dancing. She had a razor in her hand and made for witness and cut her neck.' She then attacked Violet, who was asleep. She saw her mother cut Violet's throat. She made repeated efforts to save her sister, but her mother, cut witness on the left hand. Her mother exclaimed, "I cannot help it. Tell Daddy lam sorry." "Witness ran out, on to the verandah, and her mother then came out of the bedroom into the passage and cut her own throat.

A verdict was returned that the little girl's death was due to a wound inflicted by. the mother while in a stat.e of unsound mind, and that the death of the mother was due to a wound inflicted by "herself -while in a state of temporary insanity.