ELDERLY WOMAN FOUND STRANGLED IN BED

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5295, 7 January 1947, Page 5

ELDERLY WOMAN FOUND STRANGLED IN BED

Husband 'Later Charged

With Murder HASTINGS, Last Night. An elderly woman was found dead in her douhle hed in the front room of her home in Hastings yesterday afternoon. There were marks on her throat to indicate that she had been strangled and there was a substantial bruise from a blow on the forehead. She was Mrs. Elsie Lilian Markham, aged 62, wife of Wilfred Markham, aged 77, carpenter, of 801 Avenue Road, East Hastings. Mrs. Markham's husband visited the Hastings poiice station at 4.30 p.m. and made a statement, following which he was placed under arrest. Subsequently a poiice party visited j the house, about a mile from the poiice station. A dental plate was lying alongside the, body, and from the position of the limbs, the poiice believe that a struggle occurred when Mrs. Markham was killed. The body was fully clad and the bedclothes were thrown back.

Dr. A. H. Marshall was called by tho poiice, and could only declare her dead. Mrs. Markham's son-in- ] law and daughter were in the opposite front room, just across the passage, all afternoon, and heard nothing- untoward. The first they knew of the tragedy was when the poiice arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Markham have lived in Hastings for many years and were well-kncwn residents. Their one daughter is residing in Hastings. A son died in South Africa severa-L years ago. j This morning a 77-year-oId I carpenter, W. L. Markham, I appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the Poiice Court, and was charged with the murder of his wife, Mrs. E. L. Markham." On the application of the poiice, a remand until January 14 was granted.