The Southland Tragedy.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 42, 15 August 1894, Page 2

The Southland Tragedy.

LOVE, MURDER, AND SUICIDE. [PEB PBESB ASSOCIATION..! Invekcargill, August 14. According to the statement of Mrs Reynolds, whose husband and daughter were murdered by Hooker at Merrivale diggings, Hooker on Sunday rooming asked the girl to marry hiu, and she refused. He had asked several times before, with the same result. The father and mother had also declined to consent. Hooker then asked for Reynold's gun to go shooting, and then left the house. He returned shortly afterwards. Reynolds, who was sitting at the door, asked if he had shot any bird?. He replied that be had not, and that he would shoot Reynolds, which he did. Mrs Reynolds, who was standing by, caught hold of the gun, and Hooker threw her down and shot the daughter (whose age was 18) in the breast, thumb, and elbow. Mrs Reynolds ran into the bush, and reached the shelter of a shepherd's hut, where she stayed all night. Lily Reynolds, the girl, made a statement before she died. She said she ran in the same direction as her mother, but after going some distance she fell with weakness in the grass. Hooker came along but did not see her. She afterwards recovered her strength, and reached the hut which her mother went to. The constable and doctor arrived late at night. The latter attended to the injuries of the girl, who was afterwards taken to Merrivale, and then to Riverton, where she died. A boy, son of Mr Reynolds, states that he was out pig hunting on the day of the tragedy. He went to Hooker's hut, and Hooker came along shortly afterwards and asked the boy to lend him his gun, which he did. It was only loaded with powder, so Hooker put pebbles in. The boy ran away, and Hooker then fired, but missed. The constable found Hooker dead in his hut, the charge having passed from the lower jaw out of the temple.