THE WIKIVI TRAGEDY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 262, 4 November 1872, Page 1

THE WIKIVI TRAGEDY.

It was at Wikivi (Southland), and not Waikavß, as was reported by telegraph, that Mrs. Whitting drowned her children. Mrs. Caroline Whitting is the wife of one Carl Whitting, a laborer residing at Chalmer's old sawmills, on the Bay Road near Waikivi. She left home at about half-past 4 o'clock on Saturday evening, saying she was going to see if the cow bad calved. She took with her four of ber children, the eldeßt of the four being a girl aged nine years, and three sons — Fred, Karl, and John — aged eight years, five years, and eleven months respectively. Not Jong afterwards the daughter returned borne and told her eldest sister, a girl bordering upon womanhood, that the mother had thrown baby, Karl, and Fred into the creek, and had also thrown her in, but that while her mother was running after Fred, she had got ont and run away home. The eldest girl, with her younger sister, who had so narrowly escaped death, then proceeded to the place, but they could see nothing of the mother, and could not take out the bodies, the creek being high at the time. They returned home and informed three woodcutters named Sinclair, Cab. ill, and Trainer, of what had occurred. The men pro-' ceeded to the spot forthwith, and found the bodies of the two boys, lying upon the bottom of the creek near the brink, andsome yards lower down found the baby almost on the surface, in the centre of the creek, where it had been caught, after floating down a few yards, by. some rails lying across the water. The baby, when, found, was warm, and the men. consider that tbe bodies had been quite dead for a little time before they recovered them. After recovering the bodies they left them on the bank of the river, and then went to Invercargill and reported the circumstances to Sub-Inspector Fox. That officer and Sergeant Fleming proceeded without delay to tbe locality, and upon reaching Whitting's place, started through the Waikivi bush, accompanied by the father, Karl Whitting, and the son — a lad about 16 years old. At about 10 o'clock that night, they reached tbe bodies, and conveyed them to Whitting's house, where they were closely examined, but no marks of violence were found upon them. The distance from Whitting's to the scene of the drowning is at least a mile and a half through the bush. No search could be made daring the night for the mother, but shortly after daylight next morning (Sunday), a party of nine assisted the police to scour tbe bush, and a boat was taken up the New River to drag the creek. At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Morton, one of the searchers, came upon the mother, crouched in the bush. He conveyed her to Mr. Russell's house, which was tbe nearest one ; and Sub-Inspector Fox took her into custody a few minutes afterwards. She appeared to have lost her reason, and not to be in strong bodily health. She is a woman of about 38 years of age, and her eldest daughter says that when she left her home she appeared to be well, and in her usual state of mind. The father and eldest son worked at Waikivi — the former at Myer's brick yard, and the latter at the saw mill. They left home for their work early on ' Saturday morning, but, before leaving, the father and mother had a quarrel about work, money, and jealousy. No blows were actually struck. The son informed Sub-Inspector Fox that it was a common saying with his mother that were it not for the children she would soon find a place for herself. The husband and wife appear to have lived most unhappily together for many years, and a neighbour says that he has known the mother and children sleep in the bush all night from fear of the father. It is said that the husband never owned to be father of the youngest child, and the son, at the finding of the bodies, exclaimed, "Oh, what a trouble that child has been its whole lifetime !" The residents for miles around consider Whitting " cracked." He has a peculiar expression of manner, but he works hard, and nothing is known against him at Waikivi or at Queenstown, where he has formerly been. Whilst at Queenstown, his wife visited him; they quarrelled violently, and she did not remain with him many days. The deceased children were very strong and healthy. There appears to be a very cold, hardened feeliog in the family, and one could hardly believe they could treat the matter with such cool flippant indifference as they manifest. It may be mentioned that the v mother in leaving borne prior to committing the murders, tried to induce one of her daughters, a girl about eleven years old, to accompany her, but she refused to do so. The Whittings are Prussians, and have liyed^tt the.dißtrict. about ten years.: Mrs, : Whitting ;iwas"a Jpatient in the^lnvercargilL ;Hoßpij;al^Bome;^time;^goV; butl has aheldf i^; l T^frß#i ; >b^