DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 370, 9 April 1908, Page 2

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

A Father Butchers his Wife and Family. Condition of the Victims. Invkrcargiij,, April 8. A shocking tragedy was committed in South Invercargill early this morning when James Reid Baxter, a seed merchant, attempted to murder his wife and family. Three of the children are dead, and the wife and two others were removed to the hospital in a critical condition. Baxter committed suicide by exploding a detonator cap in his mouth. Baxter had evidently premeditated his terrible deed, the victims being attacked while asleep with an axe. Basil (aged 9), Roy (4) and Ronald (2) are dead. Phyllis (11), a baby aged six weeks, and the mother (37) are in the hospital. There are hopes of their recovery. The occurrence was discovered by Mr Slight, a caller, who could get no answer and communicated with the police. The latter found the victims in Led. Baxter was aged 43, and had a shop in town. He also carried on a nursery.

There is uo apparent motive for the crime.

The Inquest.

Gruesome Details.

Invercargiee, April 8. An inquest was commenced at the bouse of the tragedy at 4 o’clock this afternoon, before Mr W. A. Stout, J.P., and a jury. Sergt. Mathieson conducted the enquiry for the police. Archibald McLean said :—“ I reside next door to the house occupied by the deceased, and I was intimately acquainted with him and his family. The two boys lying dead in the front room are Basil and Roy, the one in the back bedroom is Ronald. “ I heard no noise or disturbance last night. My bedroom faces this house, and until 10.45 last night I was in a room precisely opposite the window of Mrs Baxter’s bedroom. . I noticed nothing unusual in Mr Baxter’s manner lately. I know he had been ill of late and heard that “HE HAD .BRITISH CIIOEERA- “ I believe Baxter was down at the Bluff one day during his illness and fell off a rock. I made a discovery between 10.45 and n this morning. I came to the front window and raised the blind and saw the bodies of Basil and Roy. Prior to that I had noticed that there was no life or movement about the place. “I saw that the blinds were down when I went inside in the morning. Hearing someone calling out, I went to the window as stated. I ran straight across to the South Invercargill Police Station and telephoned for the police, who arrived in ten minutes, followed immediately by Dr. Ewart and the ambular.ce. The police took possession ol the house and I saw Mrs Baxter, the baby and Phyllis removed to the hospital. I then accompahied Sergt. Mathieson into the house, entering by the front window. We made a hurried examination of the bodies in the front room and found life was extinct. “In the room immediately behind it Roy was “ dead IN bed, “ and Phyllis was on the floor alive, but unconscious. She was lying on one elbow and one hand, with the other hand stretched over in front of her. We next entered Mr Baxter’s bedroom. As we went in she raised herself, turned towards the door and said, “ What is the matter ?’ ’ She then sank back unconscious. ‘ 1 The baby was in a cot alongside, also conscious. Having found that three of the inmates were alive, I went back to the telephone and hurried up the ambulance and the doctor. We then continued our search. The door into the scullery, through which the bathroom was reached, was locked. “We went on outside and looked through the bathroom window. Seeing a body in the bath we burst open the door and found “ BAXTER EYING IN THE BATH, “ which was full of water. His legs from the knees were sticking over the end of the bath as though deceased had been sitting on the end of the bath and had fallen backwards. “ Baxter was dead and was holding the gun (produced) in one hand, the muzzle pointing towards his feet. The gun contained a discharged cartridge in the breech. The stone scraper (produced) was also found here. Inspector Mit-' chell had arrived by this time with Constable Lennon, and the four of us lifted the body on the kitchen table, where it now lies. Everything was done by the police with the utmost despatch. The injured ones were in the ambulance within ,30 minutes after my terrible discovery.” The inquest was then adjourned till next Tuesday, but if Mrs Baxter is not then in a condition to give evidence, the inquest will be further adjourned.