Horrible Affair at Tauranga

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 96, 11 February 1892, Page 2

Horrible Affair at Tauranga

( PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. | Auckland, February 9. Tim morning the whole of Tauranga was thrown into a state of great excite* ment through the news that Duncan Munro (stepson ot Mr James Bodell, late Mayor of this town) had murdered his wife and four children, aged respectively nine months, three, five, and six years, the youngest being a girl, and the three others boys. For the last couple of days Duncan Munro, who was some two or three years ago an inmate of the Whau Lunatic Asylum, has been certainly not accountable for his actions, as he is suffering from religious mania and has been talking of offering up a sacrifice to the Most High. A 7 o'clock this morning the daughter of Mcßoberts, a milkman, went with the milk, but could not make any one hear, and called her father, who waß with the milk cart. Mcßoberts opened the kitchen door and discovered Mrs Munro and the. eldest boy on the floor in a pool of blood, and their heads frightfully knocked about. It was then found that the wife and child still breathed, and underneath the bodies was found a flat iron and a rolling pin covered with blood, which were evidently the weapons used. On going into the front bedroom it was found that two little boys were in the double bed, with their skulls smashed, and in the cot was the little girl with her brains spattered over the bedclothes. When the doctor arrived all the bodies breathed, but from the first no hopes were held out. There are great signs of a desperate struggle, for the articles of furniture and ornaments are smashed and broken. Munro was promptly arrested in the town in his nightshirt, which is covered with spots of blood. All the skulls are battered on the left side. Mrs Munro would appear to haye got oftt of bed, as she had a petticqat on, and had evidently rushed out of the room either to escape the maniac or else to protect one of her infant?. She was seriously mutilated, almost the whole of the back of her head being jobbed in and tha brain protruding, pieces of her skull being picked up on the kitchen floor. There are marks of a violent and desperate struggle having taken place, the sides of the room being marked with I blood and hair where she had fallen or I been knocked against it in the desperate struggle for life. . The victims are Grace Emma Munro, the wife, 30 years ; George, 8 ; John Hugh, 5; Alexander, 3 years; Lilian, aged 9 months. The two eldest boys lingered till about 11 o'clock, when they both died nearly at the same time. The baby lived till a little past 1 o'clock and then expired, if one of tfyera recovered cqnsciousness. The youngest boy is. dead, ancj. Mrs Munro is rapidly sinking. Mrs Munro lies in an unconscious state, breathing heavily, but no hopes whatever are held out of her recovery. On being spoken to the father admitted he had killed them all, and said " Glory, hallelujah)" and when asked how he did it, said with a flat iron, and that God told him to do it, Munro, who has been in the police cells all day, has been howling and screaming and singing hymns, and although he is ponspions of wbat he has done, he seems to hare no idea of the enormity of his crime. Ot late months he has developed yery dangerous symptoms, and has threatened the life of liis family several times. Dr Bullen repeatedly warned Munro's relatives of the danger of his being at large, especially to his family, but, un« fortunately, no notice wa* taken of his warning. In his lucid intervals, Munro was an affectionate husband, fond of his children, and a most temperate man. February 10. At the inquest on the bodies of the victims of the Tauranga tragedy, a verdict of wilful murder was returned, with the rider that he should never have been let out of the asylum and had not been properly looked after by his family. . Mrs Munro is still alive, but is uncongciq'ns/ aft 4 |na critical state. The report that" ih'i cither child is dead is incorrect, but all hopes of the poor little boy recovering are also given up. During the inquest the prisoner, Munro, was seized by n fit, and caused a sensation by singing hymns. He had to be taken out of the room. Napibb, February 10. Private messages from Tauranga received here ' by relatives •of Mrs Munro, state that she and the third child are Wt* aMlikefy to recover. hut i <•'• ;u-7 mi .»i..t, -.(..