KILLED CHILD

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 141, 6 February 1932, Page 3

KILLED CHILD

(P-oss Assn.

INQUEST INTO WANGANUI MURDER ANP SfJICIDE TRAGEDY r r>v.-' r v . f ■? ■ I • • INSANITY OF PARENT

— By Telegraph— Copyrlght).

WANGANUI, Friday. At the inquest on the vicitims of the Gonville teagedy- on Monday night, the victims being Vibletta Frances Gray, aged 35 years, and Violet Erica Cooper,t,her daughter, aged 5 . years, the evidence disclosed that. Mrs Gray had prior to the tragedy been attended by Doctor Cookp for a minor ailment, but had made a good recovery. On Monday she went to.thq.-city and did -some, shopping. She bought a saucepan and tyvo .blade razors. Returning home she went straight to bed. Shortly before 1Q she asked her husband to go for a doctor, remarking that she could not stand the pain much longer..: During the ab sence of her husband the tragedy was committed. Returnipg,. he foqpd his eldest, girl, Joan standing. at the dpor, ,who r,emarked. 'Mummy is dead and she has killqd Pad.cjy." . \ . . Mrs Gray was lying in the hMl on her back and the little girl was dead in bed. Deeeased's nerves had been.upset at the time. ,of. the -Nelson .earthquake, although she had always appeared to be normak ,, . . Jumping and, Dancing 3oanj(Coqper, aged 12 years,. said,.she heard her mother go outside and later come into witness' bedroom. She was jumping and dancing and had a razor in her hand. ,She made for witness and cut her. neckj then attacked and killed Yiolet who was asleep, She made repeated effprts to save ;her sister but her mother cut witness on the left-hand. Her mother exclpiipqd: "I cannot help it, tell dacjdy I, aip, sorry.". - Witness ran but on to the.,verandah. Her mother then came' out of the bedroom into the passage and committed suicide.s> .3 A verdict was returned that the death of the little . girl was due. .to haemorrhage cau^ed ' by the severance of the carotid artery \ from a wound inflicted- by- the mother while in-a state of upsound j mind, . and .that the death of the mother . wps dpe to haemorrhage caused by the severance of the carotid artery, the wound being inflicted by,-herself while in a state of temporary insanity.