A HAWKE'S BAY TRAGEDY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9064, 3 February 1908, Page 2

A HAWKE'S BAY TRAGEDY.

Details of the tragedy which took c place on Sunday at Opouiti show that on Sunday afternoon Miss Brownlee, niece of Mr Thos. Byrne, of Mangapoiki, was returning to her uncle’s house, accompanied by Mr E. Stevens, son of Mr George Stevens. They had just crossed the Mangapoiki stream, and were riding up the steep bank, when a young man named David Irvine, said to be a native of New South Wales, and who was working for Mr Byrne, jumped out from a small clump of scrub, where he Lad been lying in wait, and fired at them. He first fired one barrel of a double-barrelled fowling piece at young Stevens, the discharge taking effect in the upper of the arm, and causing Stevens to fall off his horse. Irvine then faced Miss Brownlee and fired the other barrel at her, but fortunately without effect, her horse swerving suddenly at the-critical moment, and galloped on Meanwhile young Stevens had gone dowu'to the stream. He was resting against a rock at the water’s edge when he saw Irvine again approaching with the gun. ■ As the latter raised his gun to fire again Stevens slipped from the rock into the water, which was deep at this point, and the discharge struck the rock he had been leaning against a moment before. Irvine then returned to the top of the bank, apparently under the impression that he had killed his victim. He rested his chin on the barrel of the gun. worked the trigger with his foot, and literally blew his head off. In the meantime Miss Brownlee’s horse had galloped to Mr Geoge Stevens’ homestead, and the alarm was given. Medical aid was telephoned for, and a party sent out to the scene of the tragedy. They found Stevens on the other side of the stream, weak from loss of blood. His injuries were attended to, and he was taken home. Irvine’s body was found lying alongside the gun, with the top of the head blown off. jealousy is supposed to have been the cause of the attack. An inquest was held before Mr J. Davey, J.P., Acting-Coroner, and a jury, when a verdict of suicide -While temporarily insane was returned. The body was buried close to the scene of the tragedy. Mr Stevens has been taken to the Wairoa hospital, and it is feared that he will lose the use of his arm.