ALLEGED MATRICIDE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1914, Page 5

ALLEGED MATRICIDE.

A CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY. [Per Press Association.] Christchurch, February 22. On Friday evening the police were summoned to a house in Durham Street, City, and on arrival found a woman lying dead on her bed. The woman’s name was Mrs Thompson, whoso husband is at Pakatoa. It appears a quarrel took place between her son, Alexander Thompson, aged 23 years, who recently returned from harvesting, and a man named Baxter, who was living in the house. Blows were struck, and -the woman, on going to interfere, was alleged to have been hit by her son. She fell over and struck the sharp edge of a fruit-case, burst a varicose vein, and bled to death. The son was arrested on a charge of murder. He said lie struck at Baxter, who dodged and the blow fell on the woman.

Baxter said the son deliberately struck his mother when she interfered.

A few people congregated in the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday morning to see the principal character in the sordid tragedy. Thompson looked a mere boy as he stepped into the dock, and he heard the murder charge read against him, and was, apparently, unconcerned.

Accused was charged that, on February 20th, at Christchurch, he did murder Hannah Thompson. On the application of Sub-Inspector McKinnon, lie was remanded until Saturday next.

The inquest touching the circumstances attending the death of Hannah Thompson was opened in the afternoon.

Nellie Thompson, daughter of deceased, stated that her mother, who was 60 years of age, was married, but her husband (witness’s father) was at Rotorua. Alexander Thompson was witness’s brother. He was a laborer, 23 years of age. With her mother lived Miss Wright, Mr Baxter, a laborer, and witness’s brother and sister, seven and nine years of age respectively. Baxter was living with deceased’s mother as her husband, and had done so for two years. They had always got on well together. There was a separation order between her father and mother.

Dr. Crooke stated that he had made a post-mortem examination of the body of deceased. He found the body well nourished, and there were external marks of violence. There was a bruise on the right cheek and also on the right elbow. The brain was somewhat softened, there being some serious effusion in the ventricle. He found evidence of ruptured varicose vein at tho right side of the external gential organ. There was no evidence of any fracture of the skull. He was of the opinion that death was caused by excessive hemorrhage, duo to a ruptured

varicose vein. At this stage the inquest wag adjourned till Tuesday afternoon.