SCHOOLMASTER SENDS PRETTY WIFE FROM SLEEP TO ETERNITY

NZ Truth, Issue 1150, 15 December 1927, Page 7

SCHOOLMASTER SENDS PRETTY WIFE FROM SLEEP TO ETERNITY

AS he sat alone and distraught in hia sitting room, Poster's mind •was made up. For him the die iwas cast; death was the only way out; all hia hopes, ambitions and everything he prized in life were menaced by the sinister shadow of a grim Fate. Better to end it all. Having written his farewell letters, Foster walked silently from the room and, arming himself" with an axe, he Crept stealthily to the bedroom wherein lay his pretty English wife, Olive, fast asleep. The axe was upraised, a smashing blow and Mrs. Foster passed from slumber into Eternity. Her husband soon followed. Filling the. bath with water he tied a boot-last-round his neck and drowned himself. Thus were the Fosters found by neighbors wheri a milkman made the tragic discovery early on Saturday morning. Happily, the crazed brain of the man spared his five young children who mercifully slept peacefully through the night, ignorant of the terrible tragedy that had bereft them of both parents. Even when they awoke early next morning they were spared the full shock of the tragedy, for It was not until the milkman called that anything untoward was noticed about the house. Strangely enough, the children were playing about in their night attire, somo frollicking in the garden when the horror,was discovered. It was round about 6.15 a.m. as a milk roundsman named Fraser called as usual at the Foster's home at 31 Qodley Avenue, Northcote Settlement, (Papanui, when the bodies were found. The street in which the Fosters lived IB One of a residential area comprising rough-cast bungalows erected some years ago by the Government

the children and looked after them in her own house until Foster's relatives arrived and took them away. Meanwhile, Albert Woodham, who had entered the house next door set out to find Foster and it was not long •before he foun'd him. Opening the bathroom door, he was horrified to see the body of Foster in the bath, which was filled with water. The body was in a kneeling position, the head bent law under the water and around the neck of the dead man was tied by a short length of cord a heavy bootlast. On, the floor of the bathroom was a half-opened razor, suggesting that before deciding on drowning Foster had contemplated doing away'with himself With it. Also standing up by the bath was the axe with which Foster had killed his wife. A r strange circumstance was that the axe.bore every appearance of an attempt having been In Bedroom .. made to clean the bloodstains from it. One'side of the blade was rubbed clean, but on the other side bloodstains still adhered. - As soon as the discovei'y was made the police were immediately informed of the tragedy, and Constable Miller was quickly on the scene. He in turn notified the Central Police Station in the City and Chief Detective Lewis and other officers arrived soon afterwards. There was little that could be done by the police except to arrange for the removal of the bodies to the morgue. In the bedroom there was no sign of a struggle, and it was apparent that Mrs. Foster had been murdered in her sleep. The bedclothes, which covered the dead woman up to the shoulders, were not even disarranged, but whether one or more blows were struck it is unlikely that she called out or moved from the position in which she was lying when death came.

WILLIAM FOSTER A photograph reproduced from a small print taken while he was. serving with N.Z.E.F. tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiumiiiniiiiiiiiit

In the sitting room, resting on the arm Of an easy chair, were several letters addressed to various people, which Foster had written before the tragedy.

and known as Northcote settlement. As Fraser arrived at the back door with the milk he saw a note in the can. Thinking the note contained instructions about the milk supply, Fraser nonchalantly picked it up and opened it. "For God's Sake send for the police immediately." i That 'was the' message written in a firm hand that greeted Fraser who lost no time in entering the house td investigate. The first room he entered was the bedr6pm at the back of the house where a sickening sight met his eyes. Lying face downwards on the bed, Which was drenched with blood, was Mrs. Foster, her head frightfully battered and almost cleft in two. Taking in the gruesome scene at a glance, Fraser lost, no time in communicating' .With Mr. and Mrs. F. Woodham, who reside next door not thirty feet away from the Foster's house. The Woodhams, accompanied by Fraser and their son, Albert, hastened to the house of tragedy and when she saw what had happened, all Mrs. Woodham's thoughts turned to the children who were playing about innocently unaware of what was taking place. With all a mother's care and kindness, Mrs. Woodham took charge of iffliiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiininHiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiii CLAIMING damages to the extent of £2OOO, Dr. Alexander set out that he had paid £750 in excess of tho value of the practice and his wife claimed that she had paid £1250 in excess on the house.

One letter was addressed to his mother, another was addressed to the Chief Detective and another was addressed to headmaster Gates at Papanui School, and there was also one addressed to a man named Hall, who belonged to the same lodge as Foster. The contents of these letters were not made known, but in one of them written to Hall, Foster is understood to have thanked him for many acts of friendship.

The proceedings, which lasted three days, embodied allegations of fraud in connection with the books of account, alleged cutting of fees laid down by the 8.M.A., and an alleged attempt by the defendant to misrepresent his-true income to the Commissioner of Income Plaintiffs counsel, Lawyer Fiddes, accepted the .judge's '.suggestion that his client .be non-suited on the whole of his case so that he" could carry out a more thorough investigation of the books and bring other proceedings if he so desired. The action had reached a stage when the plaintiff's counsel conceded he was unable, on the investigation of the books up to that point,, to establish that there had been.any fraud. Allegations ■ Plaintiff stated that he had bought Dr. Millar's practice for £IOOO and his wife had bought the home for £3500, He alleged that Dr. Millar had falsely and fraudulently misrepresented that the average yearly income from the praotice during 1922-23-24-25 was ' £ 1488, the number of midwifery cases per annum from 80 to 90 and that the house cost approximately £.3500. He further alleged that Dr. Millar had stated that he was forced to sell the practice In order to take his wife home to England on account of her health. Instead of going to England the defendant had moved to Royal Oak and started another practice. In the course of his opening address, Lawyer Fiddes said Dr. Millar had refused to produce his Income tax returns and dared not do so because these would ruin his case. / . Dr. Alexander, a short, florid-faced man, somewhat temperamental, said he had heard the practice was for sale early in , May of last year. At an interview with Dr. Millar one Sunday when his wife was present, the house was stated, by Dr. Millar as being in perfect order. It was stated by Dr. Millar that the house had cost £3500. Later, the same day, when in the surgery with the defendant, a discussion had then taken place concerning the practice. He had been shown certain records in when visits were recorded the amount of work being indicated by ticks against the names in the book. Later he had discovered that these ticks were very misleading because in some cases there were 30 to 35 ticks that did not mean work. These ticks made it appear as if Dr. Millar had seen patients when he had not. The Fees Then" again the regular charge should have been 10/6 per visit and it was only after buying the practice he had discovered that Dr. Millar had not been charging the regular fee. The books left with him after he had purchased the practice disclosed that there were never more than 30 midwifery cases per annumr These figures were taken over a perod of three years. So far as the income from the practice was concerned he had made £BB9 in cash the first year. After his suspicions were aroused he had investigated the books of account left with him by Dr. Millar* and had found that according to them the average net income for four years was not £ 1488 but £9BB per year. The house was found to have cost £4OO to £SOO less than the sum stated by Dr. Millar, that It was not new nor in perfect condition, but during wet weather the water came through the ceiling and ran down the walls. After the sale had "been effected he had worked with Dr. Millar for one month by way of introduction to the Eractice. During that time Dr. Millar ept the hooks and handled the cash.

NOTE IN MILK-CAN LEADS TO GRIM DISCOVERY

Questioning Children of Dead Couple Throws Pathetic

Light On Double Tragedy

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.)

»«<iin"umimmiuimmmiiiimitiiiMimmmiinimiiimimitiu.iimimi immiiiiiiiiiiimiimiimiiii iiiiiiiiiiimrit(iiiiiiintrnt«iiiiitHinfririmmiii«Hniifiniui,m««M"n;«iHiii|ii|>»[n|"J^^^ gsiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim in iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiffliiiMiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiinmiiiiimiiiim iiiiiiiiiimiiiimmiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii""""""""'" 1 """""' "" """"a II MOT a sound broke the stillness of the slumbering house- || U hold save the scratching of a pen as it raced across jj f| sheets of paper writing what were to jtfrove the last mes- || || sages on earth of William Alexander Poster, aged 37, first j| 11 assistant master at Papanui school, Christchurch, and spare- || || time church organist, music teacher and scoutmaster. ||

So much for the actual facts of the tragic end of Foster and his| wife. What led up to the murder and suicide was a complete mystery to Foster's many friends, to all of whom the news of the tragedy came as ; a deadening shock.

Foster, who was a returned soldier, met his wife, who was a Miss Dale, in London during the war and married her in England.

Mrs. Foster's /parents live in Kensington, London, and a pathetic featue of the maniacal act of Foster is that his wife celebrated her 31st birthday only last week, and in honor of the occasion she received a money present from her parents which ar-

WHERE DEATH CALLED The pretty house where the Fosters resided at the time of the double tragedy. .<

rived a day oz< so before her untimely death.

On two occasions he was recommended to the Secretary of State for War for decorations for meritorious service and was also awarded a conduct medal for bravery in the field.

Mrs. Foster, so far as is known, has no relatives or any of her own kith or kin in New Zealand.

Foster returned to New Zealand, bringing his English bride with him, in 1919, travelling home on the Remuera. Upon being demobilized he secured a teaching appointment at the Ashburton East School, where he remained until 1921.

During -his stay in the Canterbury town, he made many frlervda and was well-thought' of throughout the district His musical gifts made him very popular, and he was prominently connected with the social doings of the place.

A Choir Master In 1921 he secured a teaching' appointment iri Samoa, where he remained With his wife and family until May of 1925, when he returned to New Zealand. For a time he was on the teaching staff of the West Christchurch School and finally took up the appointment he held up to the time of his ideath. He was aj capable organist and was prominently connected with church work. He was organist at St. Paul's Church, and acted as choir-master. He also organized the Linwood troop of Boy Scouts which was conducted in connection with the Congregational Church at Linwood, and one of his other "part-time occupations was teaching the piano. At the school at Papanui he was always prominent in organizing sports and was generally regarded as a fine organizer. But in spite of all this, Foster was not a happy man. He had a wife in a thousand —a woman iwho was deeply attached to

ALBERT WOODHAM The neighbor who was called in and found Foster's body in the bath.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiumiiiiiKiiiimiiiiKiiiiiimiiiimiiiiimiiimmiimiiiiimniiii hfm and who from all acoounts never gave him the slightest cause for Jealousy. His five children, whose ages range from eight years down to little Billy, not quite two, are all bonny kiddies of whom their parents were Justly pioud. A (good position, an ideal wife and happy family, Foster had to all appearances nothing to worry him. But he was worried, and things reached a climax the day before he decided to end it all. j On Friday last Foster was seen by the police—there is no secret about that —and as a result of that interview he was greatly perturbed. Then on Friday evening, a little after 10 o'clock,, a man named Hall and another man called to see Foster at his home in connection with some lodge matter. The discussion was not about finances, and although Hall stated that the conversation had been abouT wireless and other general j matters it would seem that when the two men .'left soon after midnight, Foster's mind was already made up as 1 to what he intended to do. | Mrs. Foster had been out at the pictures during the earlier part of the evening with a friend of hers, Mrs. Butt, of North Road, but it is quite obvious that Mrs. Foster had no inklIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH His Honor: Am I to understand from the/ cross-examination and from, admissions made by the plaintiff that these two doctors discussed the question of deceiving the Income Tax Commissioner, and it was made to appear that the books did not represent the full takings? ; Lawyer Richmond said he did not think it need be put quite so strongly as that. . Judge Reed: The plaintiff stated that when he 'saw ftiis item of £IOO2 in- j serted in the document he knew that it was a fictitious amount for the purpose of deceiving the Income Tax Commissioner. Lawyer Richmond: We say that if that were so could this man be trusted? His Honor: What may enter into .this case is, that your defence may be that it was perfectly well-known these books did not'contain the full returns and the books were kept .in this way for that purpose. Lawyer Richmond: That must (have been perfectly, plain to Dr. Alexander. He knew that the figures givjen him were £SOO below the income "for that year and therefore; as your honor suggests, he would guess the hooks had not been kept, for that reason, in a proper way.

Certain Figures Dr. Millar told the court that he had not the slightest desire to sell his practice and not at any time'had he stated it was necessary for him to do so because he had to take his wife to England on account of her health. On the Sunday referred to by Dr. Alexander, nothing had been discussed in his surgery about the practice, but at a later date he had gven Dr. Alexander certain figures and had shown him the system he had of keeping his accounts. Dr. Alexander was shown the slips he referred to, the totals on theae Blips and the average totals. "He rather startled me by eaying, 'When can I start?'" added witness. I said, *You are not buying a pound of butter . . . «'■" ; -Up till then, nothing whatever had been said about the. cost of the house or anything about the extent of the midwifery practice. • - Later, he told Dr. Alexander that he could ■ have the practice and house. He must take both or leave the proposition and that tl?e practice was £IOOO and the house £3500. After Dr. Alexander commenced on a month's introduction to the practice they went into figures more fully. He was shown all the books. Dr. Alexander had checked the slips handed to him with two casual cash books. He had kept a regular as well as a casual ca-sh account. Ledger cards were also shown the plaintiff. ■ ~ ■ He could not have said anything to Dr. Alexander about the midwifery cases being 80 to 90 per year as the books showed the figures and it was not difficult to check them. Not at arty time had he shown reluctance to hand over the books. ■ "Providence"

Asked by Lawyer Fiddes why he should have given Dr. Alexander certain slips from a book and not one from the same book dated June 13, Dr. Millar's reply was: "I look upon it as an act of Providence. I would have been gloriously in the soup had I done so!" In reply to another question as to what, had become of certain other missing leaves from a book, Dr. Millar said, "Goodness only knows. Torn out perhaps to light my pipe."" He did not know what had become of them. He had nothing to hide: It was at this stage that Judge Reed, suggested to Lawyer Fiddes that it would be better if he seriously intended getting to the bottom of the matter to accept a non suit on the whole of his case so that he could carry out a further investigation of the books and then to bring other proceedings if he found it necessary to do so. This was agreed to with costs against plaintiff. The whole of the books of acc'ount and documents were handed over to the registrar and Lawyer Fiddes intimated that if on a full investigation it was:found that Dr. Millar's figures were correot* big client would (apologias.

ling of the murderous Intentions of her husband. She was radiantly oheerful and Mm; Butt told "Truth" that she was positive that Mrs. Foster, had not the slightest inkling that anything was troubling her husband. - Everybody who knew the couple are unanimous in saying that bo far as. they could judge there was nothing tft suggest that Mr. and Mrs. Foster were not living on the happiest terms together. Both loved their home and children, and Foster himself was idolized (by his kiddies. 111-health and its effect on a highly, strung temperament is held by his intimate friends to have had a lot to do with Foster's mad act, but there were no financial worries to upset him. The crisis came when he was interviewed by the police, and there is no doubt that the crime was premeditated by Foster who went to the trouble «* writing a number of letters which he left in a conspicuous position where they, could not be missed in the morning. ' . His message to the milkman left in; the can also suggests beyond all aha-, dow of doubt that he had determined on death not only for himself but for his wife, but why he should have attempted to clean the axe after his ghastly 'act in the bedroom is a mystery which will never be cleared up. Meanwhile his children are In the care of relatives, ignorant of the real significance of their separation from their parents, tout none the less questioning about it as was shown when little Billy while playing ball in Mrs. Woodham's garden soon after the discovery cried for his mother and won-1 dered when she never came. The inquest was held on Tuesday and a full story of the proceedings will appear in next week's issue of "N.Z. Truth." ul ,iiii,i.iiiMiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMii[iiiiraiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiui[iiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiraiiiiiiiiiraiiiraiiiii™«