AN AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3661, 5 July 1927, Page 2

AN AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

FATHER, MOTHER, SON AND DAUGHTER. DEAD IN BUNGALOW FOR TWO WEEKS. Auckland, Last Night. A frightful tragedy was discovered in a new, neat bungalow in West Street, Mount Albert to-night. Lorna Kididjell, aged about 20, was found shot through the head on a couch made up as a bod in the front, room.

Her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Kiddell, were similarly found shot through the head in a double bed in the principal bedroom.

A man aged 28 or 30, believed to be their son, C'ollen Kiddell, was found lying shot, through the hoad on the floor alongside the double bed with a thirty-two repeater Winchester rifle beside him.

All four had apparently been dead for nearly a fortnight. Mr. and Mrs. Kiddell and their daughter wore saloon passengers from England by the steamer Remuera, which arrived at Auckland on June lltli. The son C'ollen is understood to have been in New Zealand some years and to have been farming at Mangaweka. Apparently he had come up to stay with his family who it is understood paid a brief visit to Hawcra between the time of their arrival in New Zealand and the renting of their house at Mount Albert.

Mr. and Mrs. Kiddell and their daughter took possession •of tho house on June 18. No one saw them after June 20. There was a light in the. front room, and as the days went on and l there was still no sign of life the neighbours became in creasingly curious.

Finally the police were notified and a key was obtained to gain an entry to the house with the result that the ghastly tragedy outlined above was discovered. The theory is that the man believed to be tlie son Collen murdered his parents and sister and then committed suicide. There was four live cartridges in the rifle and one empty shell, while there was also an empty shell in the girl's room. The father, mother and daughter had all apparently been .murdered in their sleep. |he son was also clad in night attire.