THE WAIKIVI TRAGEDY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1330, 2 November 1872, Page 3

THE WAIKIVI TRAGEDY.

It was at Waikivi (Southland), and not Waikava, as was reported by telegraph, that Mrs Whitting drowned her children. Mrs Caroline Whittin? is the wife of one Carl Whitting, a laborer residing at Chalmers's old saw-mill, the Bay road, near Waikivi. She left home at half-past four o'clock on S&turday evening, saying she was going to see if the cow had calved. She took with her four of her children, the eldest of the four being a girl aged nine years, and three sons — Fred, Carl, and John— aged eight years, five years, and eleven months respectively. Not long afterwards the daughter returned home and told her eldest sister, a girl bordering upon womanhood, that the mother had thrown baby, Karl, and Fred into the creek, and had also thrown herself in, but that while her mother was running .after Fred, she had got out and run away "***- home. The eldest girl, with her younger sister, who had so narrowly escaped death, then proceeded to the place, but they could see nothing of the mother, and could not tafee out the bodies, the creek bsng too high at the time. They returned home and informed three woDdcutters, named Sinclair, Cahill, and Trainer, of what had occurred. The men proceeded to the spot forthwith, and found the bodies of the two boys lying upon the bottomofthecreeknearthebrink,andsome yards lower down found the baby almost on the surface, in the centre of the creek, where it had been caught, after floating down a few yards, by some rails lying across the water. The baby, when found, was warm, and the men consider that the bodies had been quite dead for a little t^rae before they recovered them. After recovering the bodies they went to Invercargill and reported the circumstance to Sub-Inspector Fox. No search could be made during the night for the mother, but shortly after daylight nest morning (Sunday), a party of nine assisted the police to scour tha bush, and a boat was taken up the New River to drag the creek. At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr Morton, one of the searchers, came upon the mother crouched in the bush. He conveyed her to Mr Russell's house, which was the nearest one ; and Sub-Inspector Fox took her into custody a few minutes afterwards. She appeared to have lost her reason, and not to be in strong bodily health. She is a, wpman, of about thirty-eight' years of age, and her eldest daughter says that when she left her home she appeared to be 'well, and in her usual state of mind. The father and eldest son worked at Waikivi — the former at Myer's brickyard, and the latter at the saw-mill. They left home for their work early on Satnr

day morning, but, before leaving, the father and mother had a quarrel about work, and money, and jealousy, No blows were actually struck. The son informed Sub-Inspector Fox that it was a common saying with his mother, that were it not for the children, she would soon find a place for herself. The husbard and wife appear to have lived most unhappily together for many years, and a neighbor says that he has known the mother and children sleep in the bush all nigl t, from fear of the father. It is said that the husband never owned to being tho father of the youngest child, and the son, at the finding of the bodies, exclaimed, "Oh, what a trouble that child has been its whole lifetime !" The residents for miles around consider Whitting " cracked." He has a peculiar expression and manner, but he works hard, and nothing is known against him at Waikivi or at Queenstown, where he Imb formerly bpen. Whilst at Queenstown, his wife visited him ; they quarrelled violently, and sb.9 did not remain with him many days. The deceased children were very strong and healthy. TIIO Whittings are Pruss ans, and have lived in tho district for about ten years.