THE MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2309, 11 August 1880, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Fuller Particulars. On his arrival in Melbourne, the late Mr Greer consulted Mr Berliner, of the Private Enquiry office, stating that he suspected his wife of infidelity and wanted to get a divorce. After some hesitation, Air Berliner said he would do anything he could to assist Greer, and the latter told the following story, “lama married man,’ he said. ‘ My wife is about 20 years of age, and we have a little boy 18 months old. We lodge in Belmont House, Drummond street, Carlton. We arrived by the Garonne. She met a Frenchman on hoard named Soudry, one of the French commissioners. She told me shortly after she first spoke to M. Soudry, that she had beeu improperly intimate with a Dr Marsdon in Bristol. That news upset me. I began to drink and gamble. In the presence of the Frenchman I spoke of her by a common name. From the day she told me that story about Marsden, she would not let me live with her as her husband, and never Ims done so since. The Frenchman and she walked up and down deck every day. They talked in French. I believed him to be a gentleman. Soudry pointed out to mo and certain friends that her head was bad.’ (Mr Berliner, as he repeated this, stated that Mr Greer meant that they thought her a little out of sorts.) ‘ Ait the Cape of Good Hope a party was made up to visit some spot, and wc were to start from the ship at 5 a.in. M. Soudry was to go, but my wife said she was ill, and neither he nor my wife went. They stayed behind.” “ He was satisfied now,” remarked Mr Berliner, “ that an improper intimacy occurred between them then. She told him that she had first met Dr Marsden at the opera, and that if he had asked her to dope with him she would have gone. By 1 Dr Marsden’ she had all the time meant the Frenchman, but had put the case this way for her own purpose. There was no Dr Marsden. Mr Greer said that if he met the Frenchman he would shoot him. lie took a revolver from his pocket. I told him that it was foolish to talk like that, and that if he came to me with a revolver I would not act for him at all. I reasoned with him, and pointed out that as he had no power to restore any one to life, he had no right to take life. Ho put awa} r the revolver., and said I had spoken sensibly. He became less excited, and asked me to help him. He said he was comparatively poor—that he had only £SO or £OO in the bank. He wanted to save his wife and his own life—he was very fond of her and his child. When I suggested to him that Marsden and Soudry were the same he asked what he should do. I said,‘Do you really love your wife and child ?’ He replied, ‘ I love the boy, but she does not. She has given him to a nurse. I love her dearly. I am and always have been infatuated with her.’ I said he must try and save her. My advice was to send her home by a sailing vessel to her mother. A change of scene and absence from bad companions might bring her round again. That seemed to me to be the only chance. He wrung my hand, said I was a good fellow, and wondered why I spoke so kindly to him. I told him that as ho seemed a nice young fellow and was a stranger, I was sorry for him ; that as a stranger he deserved every assistance. It was decided that he should bring bis wife to mo next day —Saturday. They came up at half-past 2 o’clock. He led her in and then retired to a room separated by a thin paper partition. Mrs Greer assumed a haughty demeanor with me. I told her 1 intended to speak to her as a father would to a fallen daughter. 1 said she had played with her husband and tried to excite his jealousy about Marsden, but that 1 believed Marsden was Soudry the Frenchman. She laughed auh said, ‘ You are quite right, I do love him.’ I said, ‘Take care your infatuation docs not bring you to ruin. What will be your fate? He will throw you oil', as you have thrown off your husband.’ ‘ It does not matter,’ she replied ; ‘ though he has done the same in Philadelphia, still I love him.’ ‘How do you know?’ I asked. ‘ Ho told mo so himself,’ she replied, ‘ and I know exactly my position, I would sooner be his mistress than that man’s wife.’ I said I was astonished at her language, as she had evidently been highly trained and educated. I spoke to her very calmly, ‘ Can’t you give up this infatuation ?’ She said ‘ Yo, I will not.’ She went on ‘ I was with him ou Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, aud to-day.’ I said I only knew that they had gone out together, that they had not been followed. ‘ Well,never mind,’ she said, ‘I ami not ashamed to tell 3 r ou.’ I said, ‘ You shall never see liim any more —if you do he will lose his social position. I will warn him to-night, and he will not speak to you any more. You shall go ou board ship and sail direct to England to your mother, who may bring you back to your souses. If you don’t go I will bring you before two medical officers, and when they hear you say you would sooner he a mistress than a wife, they will send you to Kew Asylum, where indeed, you ought to be uow.’ ‘What will become of him if he loses his position?’ she asked. I told her he would not lose his position unless she saw him, that I had advised her husband not to ruin him if it could be helped. Mr Greer then came into the room. I told him he must take his wife to Carlton, and let her send out no messages or letters to Soudry; that I would send word to Soudry to see me ou Monday, and that she must sail at once for England. She went into tears and said ‘Lot me sec him once.’ I said ‘ Ycvor again.’ She said she would go. home iu a steamer. I replied ‘Certainly not; that would give you a chance to get out somewhere and come hack. *” ‘ I hate him,’ she said as she looked at her husband, ‘ and love Soudry. I don’t love cither him or His child. I don’t care for the child, because I never loved the father, He married me when I was too young to know my own mind.’ Before they left I asked her if I had treated her kindly. She said ray conduct had been that of a gentleman, hut she could not accept my advice. She took ray hand and said, ‘ Do me one favor; don’t ask me to stop in the house till Monday. He has taken tickets for the opera—let him take me to the Huguenots, and the time will pass a little easier.” Mr Greer said he would take her to the theatre. I told him he had spoiled her by overkindness. To-da3 r (Sunday) wbeu Mr met me at the railway station, and told me that a Frenchman bad been shot at the Opera-house, 1 at once named

the parties. Mr Greer, when lie left me on Saturday, said lie did not know how to thank me. The}' were at my office till 5 o'clock. They left in a cab. I promised to writs at once to M. Soudry and tell him to meet me at 10 o’clock on Monday. I sent a formal note to his address by a messenger, but I expect he did not get it on Saturday night. Mrs Greer seemed to scorn her husband. She asked him why he did not meet Soudry in a duel, I told her that Englishmen did not fight duels—only used their fists.” The bullet in Mrs Greer’s case entered on the right side of her head behind the ear. It passed right through into her mouth, struck on the upper part of her jaw, and when it fell on her tongue she spat it out. The bullet in Sundry's case entered in the centre of his left cheek, passed through the lleshy part of the head and came out below the right ear. The shot must have been discharged very near him, for there arc powder marks on his face. Ho states himself that when shot he was only 4ft from Greer. A bullet hole has been found in the frame of the second mirror on the side of the dress circle where the tragic scene was enacted.