FAMILY TRAGEDY.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 August 1926, Page 3

FAMILY TRAGEDY.

HORRIBLE MURDERS. (Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.] MELBOURNE, July 31. A ghastly murder horrified the people of East Prahan when Sydney Oakley killed three of his fivo children, and slashed the throats of the other two with a razor. He then committed suicide by cutting bis own throat with the razor. ■ It appears that Oakley had made many threats of violence against bis wife, with whom he had many differences, and this morning, while breakfast was being prepared, Mrs Oakley beard screams in the bedroom. Rushing thither, she saw her husband attacking their two sons, Cecil and William, aged repcctivel.v five and three, with the razor. She fought her husband off and with two children in her arms, she rushed from tho house. She did not know that the other three children were dead.

Mrs Oakley, after a quarrel, had left her husband, but she returned, and their existence was amicable, even up to last night, when Oakley played with the children. One of the survivors, William Oakley, graphically described tho tragedy, he said : “I saw father cutting us about, so X dived under the blankets. Then I got the sheet, and twisted it round my throat. Then, when father came to me, lie could only cut my chin. The names of the killed children are:

Samuel Oakley, aged eight years. Gwen Oakley, aged 1 year and ten months.

Allen Oakley, aged three weeks. The other two children, although badly slashed, will recover.