“FED UP WITH LIFE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 787, 7 October 1929, Page 13

“FED UP WITH LIFE”

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER SHOT BOUQUETS ON NIGHTDRESSES “My ne.ves have been wrecked by tlie noise on the arterial road, and I am fed up with life generally.” This tragic message was contained in a note found in the bedroom of a house in Princes Avenue, Eastwood, Southend, Essex, recently, where a police constable discovered Mrs. H. Weston, aged about 50, and her beautiful daughter, Joan, aged 18, lying dead. Both had bullet wounds in the forehead. Miss Weston lay clad only in her nightdress on her bed. A bunch of flowers was found at her breast. Her mother was found lying on the floor, also in her nightdress. She was clasping a double-barrelled revolver in her right hand. She, too, had a bouquet of flowers pinned to her nightdress. In the kitchen lay a black cat, also shot dead. Affixed to the basket in which it lay was a note instructing Mrs. Puller, a neighbour, to bury it, and take a fern in a pot in the diningroom for her pains. Mrs. Puller, who lives next door, said that as far as she was aware no one had ever entered the Weston’s house during the four months they had resided in the neighbourhood. If anyone knocked at the door, they opened it slightly, hut no one ever went over the threshold. “I think I knew Mrs. Weston as well as most people, because I happened to have the key on behalf of the house agents when she looked over the house. She had tea with me several times, but never invited me into her house. “Mother and daughter appeared to be devoted to each other, and usually spent the day motoring In a creamcoloured coupe car.” Five Thuds Mrs. Fuller also stated that just before midnight on the Tuesday she was awakened by five thuds in the bedroom next to her, which she knew was occupied by Mrs. and Miss Weston. “I took no notice of it at the time,” she said, “because on the arterial road one hears so many noises.” To one neighbour Mrs. Weston showed the photograph of a beautiful j garden, which she said was that of her | former home. Children in the neigh- | bourhood often used to play with the | daughter, known to them as “Joey," | and she was a great favourite with them. Often, after returning from I Southend in her car, she used to disi tribute bags of sweets among the j children. j Mr. Edward Faiers, of Bury St. | Edmunds, an agent for Messrs. Nice j and Co., who supplied the Westons I with their motor-car when they were | living at Brandon, near Bury St. j Edmunds, came to collect instalments j which, were due on the car. Failing I to get an answer to his knocks, he i decided to stay the night in the neigh- | bourhood. He visited the house again in the morning, and, getting no reply, j informed the police officer. It was i then that the tragedy was discovered.