TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Shannon News, 4 November 1924, Page 1

TERRIBLE DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

MAN AND WOMAN IN SERIOUS condition.

OAMARU, Last Night. A tei’rible domestic tragedy occurred j at Clyde street, North Oamaru, at • about seven o’clock this morning. | John Holmes a labourer, aged 68, purchased a pea-rifle yesterday.; osten- i sibly for the purpose of shooting birds. Early this morning he left his room-and went into the room occupied by his wife (aged 42) and discharged the bullet into her head, behind the ear. He then went back to his own room, procured a razor and severed his wind-pipe, A four-year-old boy, why was sleeping in a cot, in his mother's room, was awakened ! by the report of the gun and rushed screaming to alarm his. elder brother, who was sleeping outside. After being shot, the woman jumped through the window arid staggered to the hut at the rear of the house where she told her eighteen-year-old son that hits father had shot her and asked him to go for the police, and a doctor.' She then collapsed on the

floor. , The boy ran to neighbours and summoned a doctor and afterwards sent for the police. The coristables could not effect' .an entrance through the back door, but climbed through the window. They found Holmes lying on a pillow in the passage with his head against the door, bleeding profusely from a terrible gash in his throat. He stated that he had shot liis wife owing to certain domestic trouble which he mentioned and was sorry he had not made “a job of himself.” The man and woman were both removed to the public hospital The Woman is in a serious condition and is riot expected to recover, but the man's injuries may not prove fatal. The couple had not been living on the best of terms lately and Holmes was suffering from'kidney complaint and insomnia. The constables found a rifle in the room occupied by Holmes, with an empty cartridge. They also found a razor in a pool of blood on the floor. The woman is Holmes’, second wife. She has a family of three boys and two; girls, the eldest boy being aged nineteen. They had been married for, about; twenty years, The police

found a bank book in Holmes room and a letter to the Public Trustee, with' instructions as to the disposal of his property. ...... '