A Terrible Tragedy at Ashburton

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 84, 19 January 1889, Page 2

A Terrible Tragedy at Ashburton

A DELIBEBATE MUKDEK,

(PER PRESB ASSOCIATION.)

Ashbtjbton, January 18

A terrible tragedy took place this morning at Chertsey, a township on the railway line, about 12 miles north of here. Francis Fahey, a village settler, had been haying disagreements with his wife. Yesterday morning he beat his child 1 8 months old, and his wife left him, seeking refuge at the house of a neighbour, a widow. She went to Eakaia to complain to the police, and he went to Ashburton to see the police there about his wife. In each case it was arranged for a constable to go out this morning. Fahey, while in Ashburton bought a revolver and cartridges, This morning he found that his wife was at a neighbour's house, and he went there and endeavoured to persuade her to return. While they were engaged in conversation, the constable who had been despatched to inquire into the matter was seen coming down the road. Mrs Fahey then tried to go out of the house, Fahey endeavouring to prevent her, but she eluded him. She got a yard or two over the doorstep, when Fahey espied her, and drawing his revolver fired two shots into her head, in the full view of the constable, who was about seven chains distant, the women at whose house they were, and four platelayers on the railway. The women fell, and while lying on the ground, Fahey took a deliberate aim and fired a shot into her abdomen. He then ran into the road, and the constable called on him to stop. He made no reply, but, pointing the revolver at his own head, fire twice, the second shot penetrating to the brain. The women was quite dead when picked up, but Fahey lived an hour and forty minutes. At the inquest a verdict of wilful murder and felo de se was returned.