THE KUROW TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2890, 30 May 1925, Page 4

THE KUROW TRAGEDY.

CORONER’S VERDICT.

A SUICIDE PACT.

Dunedin, May 28,

That, the lives of Olive Jean Rutherford and Philip Richard Hudson were ended in pursuance of a suicide pact between two young people, was the view taken by the Coroner, Mr. H. \Y. Bundle, when the inquiry into that sad happening of five weeks ago ended at Camara yesterday. Their reasons for entering on the arrangement whereby they both would die were, he said, known only to themselves His conclusion was that with the girl in it the car was driven over the cliff above the Waitaki River. The fall left her still alive, and Hudson shot her with the rifle. He then shot himself, and wandered into the river.

Dr. Douglas described the girl’s injuries, and said there was no pregnancy and no sign of pregnancy.

To the Coroner, he said that there could he no doubt but that the car was intentionally driven over the cliff, for, though the morning was foggy, the road was quite clear ahead. There was no breaking away of the dift, indicating that the car must have gone over at a fair speed. Everything possible was done for the unfortunate girl, but without avail.

There was no sign of the other occupant of the car, and various rumours were current, but there seemed very little doubt that the unfortunate boy had gone into the i-iver. That turned out to be correct, and the body was recovered on May 19 by watchers employed by the Hudson family.

“I may here say,” said the Coroner, “that there is no possibility of any third party having been connected with the death of these two young people. I need not go into details as to my reasons for that conclusion, since there con be no possibility of a third party being implicated. It seems hardly necessary to touch on that point, and I merelv mention it in passing.

“Looking at all the circumstances after seeing the scene of the accident, and hearing the medical evidence,” he proceeded, “1 am forced to the conclusion that these two voting people had decided on suicide for reasons best known to themselves, and known only to them. It would seem that the girl remained in the ear when it was driven over the bank. 1 do not think that Hudson could possibly have been in the ear, for the fall would without doubt have rendered him unconscious. From the evidence of the witness Bell, it is plain that the rifle was in the cur when it left, Dunedin. Hudson must have carried the rille down the cliff. His watch was found above, and it must have been detached during bis descent. Miss Rutherford was not killed by the fall and (hiding her still living Hudson, in pursuance of their arrangement discharged the rifle and ended her life. He then shot himself, and in a semi-consci-ous condition wandered into the river.- Neither party can have been in a proper state of mind at the time. I can only find that Philip Richard Hudson committed suicide In- shooting and drowning himself and that Olive Jean Rutherford died at Kurow on April 25 from the effects of a bullet wound inliicted by Hudson on April 22. In the interests of the parents these sad details as far as possible, and as quickly as possible, lie forgotten.”