Rejected Lover's Terrible Crime

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 442, 25 August 1928, Page 1

Rejected Lover's Terrible Crime

MUItDER AND SUICIDE INQUEST AT DUNEDIN (Special to THE STJH f DUNEDIN, Friday. Inflamed with jealousy at his rejection by Nurse Margaret MeIrmes, Thomas Ellis, a labourer, aged 35, murdered the girl in the grounds of the Orokanui Mental Home on Thursday night, and then committed suicide. A verdict to this effect was recorded by Mr. J. R. Bartholomew at the inquest on the victims of the double tragedy, this afternoon. Events which led up to the tragedy were related by Nurse Muriel .Laurent, who stated that Nurse Mclnnes had confided in her. Witness understood that the dead wdman was undecided between two men, one of whom was Ellis. Ellis had quarrelled with Nurse Mclnnes, who had said that at a dance at Seacliff she had danced with other men and not very often with Ellis. This had made him jealous. Later they met in Dunedin, and quarrelled again, Ellis afterwards taking her to a relative’s house in South Dunedin late at night. Nurse Mclnnes led witness to believe that she had finally rejected Ellis. When the murdered woman was leaving town on Monday night, said witness, Ellis came to the bus in a taxi. To save a scene she joined him and he brought her to Waitati in his car. When witness was leaving for Dunedin on Tuesday night Nurse Mclnnes handed her a letter addressed “Mr. T. Ellis, care Mr. McKenzie, Seacliff.” It was important, she said, that it should be posted in the city. Nurse Mclnnes referred to the letter on Wednesday to make sure that it had been posted, and on Thursday she said that she had not received a reply. She was eager to get the reply, she added, and was dreading the contents. She had asked Ellis several questions, and she hoped that he would answer each one. She was worried about the letter, but as far as witness knew she had made no appointment with him. GIRL WAS STUNNED FIRST

The injuries were described by Dr. H. J. Tizer, who said that beside the wounds on the head there were scratches on each of the dead woman’s hands. He was of opinion that Nurse Mclnnes had been first stunned by a blow on the back of the head, and that her throat had subsequently been cut.

“The facts of this sad tragedy are only too plain,” said, the coroner. “It is obvious that Nurse Mclnnes was murdered by Ellis, who then cut his throat.” Nurse Mclnnes, who was 25 years of age, came to New Zealand from England 17 years ago. Her home was at Abbotsford, but during the past two years she had been employed as a nurse at Seacliff.

Ellis, who was about 34 years of age, had been working in Dunedin until four months ago, when he went to Seacliff. It is understood that he had been divorced from his wife At 6.30 last evening Ellis knocked at the door of the female portion of the institution and was answered by the matron. He said he had an urgent message for Nurse Mclnnes, and was invited inside. Apparently he stayed for only a few minutes after the nurse’s arrival. When he had gone it was noticed that she had been weeping. “I saw my friend,” she told the matron, “and he had bad news for me.” What the news was she did not explain. HANDSOME AND WELL-DRESSED After leaving the home Ellis went to Leith House, in the township of Waitati. Although he betrayed no signs of nervousness he seemed to be restless. Handsome and well dressed, he soon put himself on friendly terms with the proprietress, to whom lie announced that he had come to the home to see a relative. He ate heartily and chatted cheerfully. He inquired whether he could be accommodated at the boardinghouse for the night, and on being informed that all the available room had already been taken stated that he might go In to Dunedin. At any rate, he could obtain the taxi in which he had come from Seacliff. When told that there was no telephone in the house he remarked that “his girl” could ring for him. In cheerful frame of mind he left Leith House again at 7.30. At 7 50 he arrived at the home again and later left with Nurse Mclnnes. GRIM RELICS FOUND Near the nurse’s body, which was found in a clump of bush bordering the Blueskin cemetery, were a man’s overcoat, coat, waistcoat, collar and tie, a. pair of kid gloves, a man’s hat, a woman’s hat, a packet of cigarettes and a bag of chocolates. A further search revealed a large stone knotted in a handkerchief, which was saturated with blood. Later a pocket knife with the blade open and covered with blood was found Byds from the body.