DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 289, 1 August 1932, Page 5

DOUBLE TRAGEDY

: (Press. Assn.-

PATHETIC CASE

FATHER MURDERS SON AND SUICIDES IN AUCKLAND FLAT WANTED FAIRY STORIES

— By Telegraph— Copyright).-

AUCKLAND, Sunday. A double tragedy, involving the death of a child, aged five years and his father, occurred in a flat iti Wynward Street on Saturday night. The bodies were discovered in bed this morning. The father was William Charles Morrison, aged 50 years, a married man residing apart from his wife, while the son was John Albert Morrison, aged_ five - years, the only child. The boy, who lived with his mother, Mrs Ida Morrison, a nurse at Northcote, was visiting his father for the week-end. The child arrived on a, visit on Friday afternoon." On Saturday the pair went to see the League football match at Carlaw Park, but before the game was finished, the father who had been in ill health for the past few months, complained cf feeling unwell, and feturned tO his apartment. After the evening meal, the father put the boy to bed. Mr. Morrison' p'ayed cards with the owner of the house until about 10.30 p.m. and" when he retired, he appeared depressed. About nine this morning, the bwner of the house went to the bedroom with deceased's breakfast, buty after knoclcing, received no reply. She noticed a smell of gas and notified the 4her residents in the house. The ppHce found that death had taken place 'some hours previousTy. The gas had been allowed to escape from - gas heater turned on, but not light- * 3d, situated at the foot of the bed. That the tragedy was' not accidental was shown by the fact that the two windows in the room had been Uosely shut, a scarf was over a crack at the top of the door, and an old * sheet was stuffed into the ventilator. In the pocket of the son's pyjamas there was a note aslcing the father to tell him fairy stories in the morning. Morrison was formerly in the emoloy of the Auckland Electric Power Board. "