A DISTRESSING TRAGEDY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3489, 18 May 1920, Page 6

A DISTRESSING TRAGEDY.

SOUTHERN FARMER ATTACKS - HIS CHILDREN. LITTLE DAUGHTER SUCCUMBS TO INJURIOES. DUNEDIN, May 16. The police were -‘.l.(J~'v'iS(.'d this morning that Dr. Sieuhouse, of B‘a-la-lutha, has been mung up by Mr Pannett, oi Wharetoa, saying that a farmer named John Sharp’ of Rongahere, had ;LLt:u;ked his _ehildl'en during Sat.urday._ The children had’ got away from him, but in the evening he -attacked .two. One go: away, but the other, :1 girl named Sophia, seven years of age, was ren-

; dered unconscious. i\lr Pannett asked , the doctor to come to the‘ scene and , bring a constablé with him. Dr. Sten- , house and Constable Findlay, from L Balclutha, set out for Rongahehe, » arriving at 3 o’clock this morning. I The injured girl, wilih other members i of the family, were with Mrs Ireland, nearby. On examination the doctor foundthat the child’s head had been bashed in. He took the child in his 5 car and started out for Dunedin with ‘ the object of placing Ithe injured girl in hospital, but by the time he had gone seven miles she expired. He thereupon returned with the body to Mrs Ireland’s and left it there. Mrs Sharp had been in delicate health, and was staying in Dunedin. Sharpe is described as 70 years old, five ‘feet ten “ inches high, stout, dressed roughly, and with a struggled beard. A party of‘ police set out from Dunedin at 11‘ !o"clock this morning in search of} Sharp. A party of police also left‘ ifrom Invercargill, the scene of the‘ tragedy being on «the B.‘orderland of the ' Otago and ‘Southland police district. Sharp made for Lawrence‘, and there. gave himself up. At the police station 1 he stated to Sergeant Kidd that hel had struck one of his girls, but he ‘thought. she was all right. ! "K" .