CROW’S NEST TRAGEDY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 37, 14 October 1913, Page 5

CROW’S NEST TRAGEDY.

ATTACKED WSTH AN AXE. WOODRUFF ARRESTED. [By Electric Telegraph—Copyright j [United Press (Association.] Sydney, October 13. Woodruff lias been .discharged iron the nospual, and lias been arrestee on a charge of attempting to inuidc. his wife and son, who are slowly recovering. In a picturesque little villa’at Crow' Nest, .North teydney, on -Monday, 22iu September, a tearful domestic trag.d. v\as enacted. A well-known city busi ness man, apparently in a tit of mad ness, atateked his wile and son wici. an axe, breaking their skulls. Hi cnen attempted to commit suicide.

The Daily Mail states that at about 6 o’clock in tJie morning Dr. Isbistev of North Sydney, received a telcphon message from “ivyeriah,” Crow’s Nos rtoad, and residence of William J. Woodruff, to attend Mrs Woodruff an lion aid Woodruff, her son. Ronald Woodruff, aged 26, met tin doctor at the door, and explained tha. no had been awakened by si feari'u. blow on the head, j Ho got up, am saw his father beside him with an axt in his hand. This he seized, and, alter a struggle, locked his parent lithe room. He then went to look fo his mother. She was in her bedroom unconscious, and wounded about th. head.

The doctor at once rang up the po lice, and then attended to the cases. Mrs Woodruff’s was by far the mor.. serious. Her skull is fractured, ant sho lias small hope of recovery. Gj turning his attention to the son, tin doctor found that ho was suffering from a similar injury, caused by a blow in the huddle 0 f the forehead. Though ho had kept up so far, the son was rapidly weakening, and both he and hit mother were conveyed to a private hes piatl at North Sydney.

Meantime, Mr Woodruff had been forgotten. The doctor presumed that h. was without weapons, and would bt safe until the police arrived j but when Senior-constable rYiudin and Constable Wright came toithe house and opened the bedroom door there was no tract of him beyond a pool of blood on the floor and an' open razor case. Bloodstains on the window-sill led the constMildfi outMde, and some distance from'the hbusV, in the garden, they came 'across' thW nude form' '(if 1 Mi Woodruff. He was.bleeding from a gask-ili his llirojvtj; a cut on. each wrist, a nrf% *slasHli join's- leg: TlWtlivil '•Ambulance Ufeuift-rapidly dressed th: wounds, arid took the sufferer to the Royal North Shore Hospital. Here las condition was found to he critical.

Tnere was no apparent motive lor th; acts. * r Air" Woodruff is unwell-known fire assessor, and carries on business at 18 Bridge Street. He and his .wife and son, to.uMl. appearances on good terms. went, toithe Mountains <.yc,r th'c|l vleek-eutland return'd late Sunday uTgift. "