SHOCKING TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1927, Page 2

SHOCKING TRAGEDY

FAMILY MURDERED. IJV TEI.EGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AUCKLAND, July 4. A frightful tragedy was discovered in a new. neat bungalow in AVest Mtreet, Mount Albert, to-night. .Afiss Lorna Kiddell, aged about 20 years, was found shot through the head. The body lay on a cmicii made up as a bed, in the front room. The vonng woman’s father and mother. Air and Airs E. AY. Kiddell, were similarly found shot through the head in a double bed, in the principal bedroom. A niaii, aged 28 or 30 years, believed to be their soil, Collen Kiddell, was found lying shot through the head on the floor'alongside the double bed, with a thirty-two repeater AA mchester rifle beside him. AH four persons had apparently been dead for nearly a fortnight. \Mr and Airs Kiddell and then daughter were saloon passengers from England by the steamer Reunion, which arrived at Auckland on June son. CoUen. is- understood to have been in New Zealand some years, and to have been farming at Afangaweka. Apparently the son had come up to stay with his family, who, *» understood, paid a brief visit t ” era between the lime ot their aim a in New Zealand and tbo renting o their house at Alonnt Albert. Air and Airs Kiddell a.ul then daughter took possession of the house on June 18. No one saw them about j after June 20th. There was a light in the front room and as the days went on and the e was still no sign of Me, the neig ibours became increasingly curious. Finallv. the police were notified ana a kev was obtained to gain an entry to the house, with the result that the ghastly tragedy outlined above "as

discovered. • The theory is that the man. Indicted to be the son CoUen. murdered bis parents and his sister and then committed suicide. There were four live cartridges m the rifle, and one empty shell, while there was also an empty shell m the

girl’s room. , , . The father, mother and daughter had all apparently been murdered m their sleep! The son was also clad in night attire. FURTHER PARTICULARS. AUCKLAND. July 3. Rev. Frank Harty, who accompanied the Kidd ell’s from England to Auckland. stated Kiddell senior was a civil servant retired on a pension sufficient to afford a living for his wife and himself. His daughter Lorna was a highly educated girl of neurotic temperament. Her behaviour during the voyage caused her parents vast anxiety. On arrival here discord arose through the unreasoning desire of the girl to remain in the city. Finally, in defeience to her wishes the house at Mount Albert was taken. The concern with which the parents viewed the behaviour of their daughter was illustrated by the fact that Harty was asked to act as mediator between ber and tbo son, who desired the family to rejoin

him on a farm. The son was engaged to lie married to a Scot’s girl’ in New Zealand. Residents in the vicinity of Kiddell’s lionie at Afount Albert, gathered the impression that the family were in leasonably comfortable circumstances. The lviddell’s were well dressed and bore file appearance of people of more or less independent means. A milkman, Thomas Jobe.v. stater Airs and Aliss Kiddell were the members of the lamily that lie met. They were people of refinement atul ed cation who always greeted him - cheerily. He 'learned that Miss<Kiddell was a qualified school teacher but was unable to obtain a position as such in New Zealand, was mentioned to him that there was a son farming in New Zealand, but no mention was made of an impending visit from him. A fortnight ago Joboy found that the previous day’s milk was standing at the back door, together with some butter and a loaf of bread. It was supposed that the occupants had left tlie house hurriedly. The circumstances that a light in tlie house was burning at first did not arouse suspicion, but later Jobe.v asked bis boy assistant to investigate. He cannot say whether tlie boy did so. '

Later Jobey decided to ask the municipal authority to get the lights turned off, but last night’s discovery anticipated that. A young man and his mother, residing in a bungalow only 20 to 30 feet from KiddelV’s house neither saw nor heard anything ol a firearm being discharged.