TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT OTAU SETTLEMENT

Shannon News, 5 March 1926, Page 3

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY AT OTAU SETTLEMENT

- A message from Clevedon states that Page, aged 37, went off his head, cut the throats of Ids two babies* who were twins ,tliree months old* and then cut -ids own throat. The - deed was committed during the .abence of his wife, on a visit to Auckland, 28 miles away. ‘ AUCKLAND.: March 4: A terrible tragedy occurred at Otau settlement between seven and eight o’clock thiq morning. N ■ Septimus Page, who was living with his wife and children in a four-room-ed house, killed! his two infant children, a boy and (twins) aged three months. 1 The children had been left in charge of Miss -Finn, aged about 20, who helps Mrs. Page with the household" duties. G ' / . Miss Finn* was present when ,the father edmmitted the terrible! act. She ' , rushed across the • padodek to the house of Mr. James Calhoun, a re--turned soldier farmer living 500 yards away, and told him; what, had hap-, pened. Calhotin immediately informed .Mr. R. Quinn, another soldier farmer nearby, and Constable Holland at Papakura was communicated ' Messrs. Quinn and Calhoun went to, the house, where they found the two children with their throats cut. The , father, who; had slashed his throat > with a razor! was lying on the floor in . a pool of blood. A doctor was summoned from Papakura and attended Page, who, though weak from loss of blood, was able! to get up, walk about and wash himself. Nurse Brodie .said to him: "Why did you do this terrible thing?” He replied: “I don’t know.” He said he had been feeling unwell for a long time and had pains in his head. , ' : w ? It is stated that at one, time Rage': suffered from fits. Lately he had complained of feeling queer. : ‘ * The constable; took Page to the Auckland Hospital in a ihotor-car. Page was then looking very ill.. Page -was well respected in the district. He is said to have been passionately fond of his two chifdren and' devoted to his wife; an ideal husband and a hard-working man of abstemious habits. ■ ’ , • . - ; . Before going to the hospital Page wrote a confession, which was taken, by the constable. ’ *