THE INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9117, 9 April 1908, Page 5

THE INVERCARGILL TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. Per Press Association. Invercargill, April 8. An inquest was commenced at the house of the tragedy at 4 o’clock this afternoon before Mr W. A. Stout, J.P., and a jury, of whom E. Webber was foreman.

Mr Stout having explained that the jury had been summoned to inouire into the deaths of Jas. R. Baxter, and his three children—Basil, Roy and Ronald, the jury then viewed the bodies, which were lying exactly in the positions in wore discovered. The gruesome duty accomplished, Sergt. Mathloson (who conducted the inquiry for lice) said that the only evidence he proposed to call at this stage was that of Mr McLean, who would identify the bodies. He would then ask for an adjournment, to see whether Mrs Baxter would be able to give evidence. Archibald McLean, chief missionary in Invercargill, said: “I reisde next door on the right to tthe house occupied by the deceased, and I was intimately acquainted with him and his family. The two boys lying dead in the front bedroom are Basil and Roy, and the one in the back bedroom is Ronald. I heard no noise or disturbance last night. My bedroom faces this house, and until 10.45. last night I was in a room precisely opposite the window of Mrs Baxter’s bedroom. I noticed notl/iug unusual in Mr Baxter’s manner lately. I know he had been ill of late, and heard that he had British cholera, I believe Baxter was down at the Bluff one day during his illness and fell off a rock. I made a discovery between 10.45 and 11 this morning. I came to the front window, raised the blind, and saw the bodies of Basil and Roy. Prior- to that I had noticed that there was no life or movement about the place. I saw that the blinds were down when I went outside in the morning, and hearing some one calling out I went to the window, as stated. I then ran straight across tot the South Invercargill Police Station' and telephoned for the police, who arrived in 10 minutes, followed immediately by Dr. Ewart and the ambulance. The police took possession of the house, and I saw Mrs Baxter, the baby, and Phyllis removed to the hospital. 1 then accompanied Sergt. Mathieson into the house. Entering by the front window we made a hurried examination of the two bodies in the front room and found life extinct. In cue room immediately behind it Roy was dead in the bed, and Phyllis was on the floor alive bat unconscious. She was lying on one elbow and one hand, with the other hand stretched out in front of her. We next entered Mrs Baxter’s bedroom. As we went in she raised herself, turned towards the door, and said “What is the matter?” She sank back unconscious. The baby was in a cot alongside, also unconscious. Having found that three of the inmates were alive I hurried hack to the telephone, and also hurried up the ambulance and the doctor. We then continued our search. The door into the scullery, through which the bathroom was reached, was locked. We went on outside and, looked through the bathroom w indow. Seeing a body in the bath, we burst open the door, and found Batxer lying in the bath, which was full of water. His legs from the knees were sticking over the end of the bath as though deceased had been sitting on the end of the hath, and had fallen backwards. Batxer was quite dead and was holding the gun (produced) in one hand, the muzzle pointing towards his feet. The gun contained a discharged cartridge in the breech. The stone scraper (produced) was also found here. Inspector Mitchell had arrived hy this time with Constable Lennon, and the four of us lifted the body on to the kitchen table, where it now lies. Everything was done by the police with the utmost despatch. The injured ones were in the ambulance within 30 minutes.”