THE ORMONDVILLE TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 62, 12 February 1884, Page 3

THE ORMONDVILLE TRAGEDY.

Further Particulars.

i [BY TfiLEORAPH.] V, (UNITEIJ PRKSS ASSOCIATION.) i : . , Napier, February 11

From particulars furnished by thy Herald's O'rmomlville correspondent ifc appears that the murder of the Edwards family was carried out in a determined manner. Edwards, although conscious, keeps a strict silence, but the appearance of the room in which the bodies lay tells the tale only_ too surety. Three of the four children went to church on Sunday evening , , the mother staying at home nursing; the baby, oOn their return they went to bed, land' the mother lay down dressed on the bed, waiting for her hnsband. When he returned it would seem, from a heap of chips at one cor- | ncr, that he took a half-charred log j from the fire,, and with his pocket knife coolly cut one end into the shape of.a convenient handle. He must then hare stunned-his wife and children as they lay on the bed. The'foreheads of all were cut and bruised. The wife's throat was cut on the bed. From the enormous quantity of blood in the middle of the floor, on the murderer's trowaers, and on a., cliairj: it appears that he lifted ihe children from the bed, .and taking! them be ween his knees one by one cut-their thibats. Also he placed thorn again on the bed, -theinawns entwined about each other. Probably he then -cut his own throat, but not deeply:—The tragedy must have ; occurred before midnight.** Early in the morning' before' daylight, he went to the House; of a neighbour-; thg 'settler named I*lank and asked! for water. Plank says ho had a presentiment that all was riot right, arid he refused -'the* water, arid when Edwards ; mmt away- 'Plkhk''followed him with a loaded gun but soon lost him in the darkness. Edwards, then (jailed ; aE } another neighbour's ( naWd Pask, and there got water. It being dark Pask saw norblQo/J, but Edwards manner was .so.strange that Pask became uneasy and went and rouseJ the local ..constable. They ,wen.t;to.Edwards' house and there discovered the horrible tragedy:- When wards was foundoorn r the trestles of a high from, which lie" threatened to' jump," but he was' ultimately secured; with great difficulty. j He' was' taken; \i6' the.. 'Waipukuraii Hospital to have Iris WutfdV dressed, arid he 1 is not in danger, i Edwards is a 1 man of s6me ; e'ducatibii, and/a'principal engineer i; foi some: years.' Ite was chief eiVgitieer on one" of the coastal steamers,' biifc was discharged for drunkenness. Hb re-, ceived remittances from home, his friends being , well , connected, , and a. short timie since received 1 £1000 with fought Jan'd at .Orrnondville. ; was. given ipdHnkiiig, and J when trrUnk was like'a madman. Twice" he has been charged with being a lunatic, Wd ; kep£iff confinement till the effects of his drinking had passed off. ItJhasJ transpired.. that j "wEen, .drun.k he ,has! , more tnati bnce' severelyfaulted iiisj wife, and a,short. iime r since he plaped a quantity of gunpowder under his wife's bed and exploded it, fortunately i~w^b"but" any serious results'. "T "