REVOLTING MURDER OF A WIFE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2406, 2 December 1880, Page 2

REVOLTING MURDER OF A WIFE.

Our exchanges from Victoria contain particulars of a revolting murder perpetrated at Cundare, in the Western district of that colony. The victim was a married woman named Bridget Theresa Tunis, and she was murdered in a most cold blooded manner by her husband who is a Belgian. A little girl aged thirteen, daughter of the deceased woman, told the following pitiful tale at the inquest;— Theresa Tanis deposed,—l am the daughter of the prisoner, Martin Tanis, and of the deceased, Bridget Theresa Tanis. On Tuesday, the 2nd November my mother went to Oudit to sec my brother Owen. She told 1113' father before she went that if she did not meet him,she would Stay at Mrs Brown’s. My mother came back on Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock. My father M as at home. They had no dispute. M3' father Ment down to Oudit, and came back drunk. He asked my mother if 19 years was not long enough for them to be happ3' together. She said twenty years would be longer, and he said she had onty 19 hours to live. My mother got frightened,and went away to Ondit. On Fridaj morning she came back with my father, who had boon seeking her. I "know she was living at M'Mahon’s Hotel while she M as aw r ay. I did not tell my father where she was for fear ho should go down and kill her. M3' father fetched me on the Friday morning (sth) about 11 o’clock to meet her, and I did so. We all came home together. Father was quite nice until the evening. As soon as it was dusk he locked the door. My mother and myself and my two little sisters were in the house. He began sighing, and pretended to be raving. He called us a lot of names, and told me M'hat to do M'hen he was gone. My mother said nothing, only shook her head and opened her e3’es, when he went into the bedroom. She had no chance to say anything. She asked him to go to bed. He told her to go to bed and he M’onld come l>3' and I)3', He had a knife pocket on at his waist. I saw something like the handle of the knife produced sticking out of it. lie M'eiit

into the bedroom, and stayed about three minutes. He came out, and told mother to go to bed. She said, “ .No, I xVon’t go without you.,’' He sv.id, she would have to go.' I went to bed in the sfltne room, in a little bed with my sister Annie. - There is just room for a person to walk between the two beds. My mother lifted up the mattress, and whispered to me that the knife was hidden somewhere there, about the bed. Father was in the other room at this time. She tried to find the knife, but could’ not. They were talking. together, I went to sleep, and heard no more. He was talking to her in a low tone when I Went to sleep. I was awoke by hearing mother screaming Don’t Hill, spare my life.” She called out for .0 wen. Owen is my brother. I jumped out of bed. There was no light in the room. I rushed round to father’s side and pulled at him. I felt about my father’s hands. He was kneeling on the bed. My mother was half lying and half sitting. Her head was against the iron head of the bedstead, and my father was kneeling on her knees. She screamed —“ Get a light; he lias a knife.” I tried to get hold of his hands. Ho had the knife clutched by the handle in his right hand, the blade pointing downwards. I caught hold of the blade. It ran into my hand. I pulled my hand a« ay quickly. I then ran and lit the candle. I saw my mother with her head against the iron of the bed, and half sitting. Father was kneeling on her knees. He had the knife in his hand ; it was like the one produced. He had the knife in his right hand, above his head, and with his left hand he was holding my mother down. His left hand was pressing her down. His left baud was on Iter bosom. She could not get up. I screamed, ami ran into the other room. I did not sec him do anything with the knife.. When 1 saw it raised over my mother’s head .1 screamed and ran away. I made Annie dress and run for Martin. In about ten minutes 1 wont into the room. My mother was stretched on the bed. outside tl 1C bedelotl ics. Siie was lying full length on her back. Father was standing on the floor, by the side of the bed, leaning over her. He had the knife in Ids band. I saw him raise it, and the knife struck my mother in the stomach. My mother could not say anything. She turned, and looked in a despairing way at me. 1 rushed and hit him on the back, and tried to push him away. That was the only time I saw him strike her with the knife. When f struck him he turned to chase me. Ho still had the knife in his hand. I ran away. He did not say anything. I went back in a little time. He was standing in the middle of the floor, cutting his throat with a razor. I think it was about 2 o'clock. It was I when I got to Mrs Day’s, and Martin said it was half-past 2 when Annie called him. My father kept saying to mother, “ Do you sec this Quocnie,” and each time he spoke cut his throat a little more. He cut a little each time. My mother could not speak she could only shut her eyes. My mother could only scream out “ Oh" aud “ Help.” I took the blanket off my bed and put it round mother. She was bleeding. I saw poor mother, and she said nothing. My father put his arm under my mother, and said, “We are happy now; we are going to go to heaven.” She only moaned. 1 went out, and waited until Annie came with Martin,

The poor child, who gave her evidence with the utmost propriety, and in a truly wonderful fashion for one so 3'oung, was subjected, to a long and painful cross examination by the prisoner, who tried to elicit that the deceased had confessed she had committed .adultery with a man named Henderson. This the child indignantly denied, and in the most impressive manner assured the magistrate that she had never seen the slightest impropriety between her mot her and any man. The jury were visibly r affected several times while the little girl gave her evidence. Martin Tanis a very intelligent lad of 15, was called, and deposed to the state in which he found his mother. He (irmly repudiated the prisoner’s statements that his mother had ever confessed she had committed adultery. The inquiry lasted between four and five hours. At the close of the evidence the jury found the prisoner guilty of wilful murder, and he was committed for trial, but us no assizes have yet been appointed, no day or place was named.