THE DOUBLE MURDER NEAR TIMARU. Full Details of the Tragedy.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 49, 10 May 1884, Page 3

THE DOUBLE MURDER NEAR TIMARU. Full Details of the Tragedy.

Timaru, May 2. The following are the particulars of the recent horrible tragedy at Temuka, as obtained by a reporter of the "Timaru Herald " :— About daylight in the morning deceased arose, and slipped on his dressing gown, proceeded up stairs and called his man .servant. After receiving an answer he was heard to go down stairs again, and before the servant had dressed two reports of fire-arms were heard. As it is not daylight till about six o'clock at this season of the year, and the man being positive that the dawn was just breaking, it is concluded that the time the reports were heard would be between a quarter and half-pastsix, The man servant and the women servants paid no immediate attention to the occurrence, though more than one admit that they were a bit frightened. On one of the servants going to the room with some coffee for her mistress, as she had been in the habit of doing, about half-past seven o'clock, she was rather surprised and startled to find that the bedroom door was locked, and still more startled on observing smoke issuing from the key-hole and round the door, the smoke smelling like burned gunpowder. She immediately called up her companions, and it was decided to send for the police, and not to break into the room themselves. A messenger was accordingly despatched to Temuka, and on arriving at the police station he informed Constable Morton, the officer in charge, as well as he could, of the circumstances surrounding the melancholy affair. Constable Morton went out at once, first sending for Dr. Hayes, and both arrived at the house about the same hour. They at once broke in the door of Mr Garland's bedroom, and one of the ghastliest scenes ever witnessed presented itself to the horrified view. On the floor, at the foot of the bed lay on its right side the body of Mr Garland, and on the bed that of Mrs Garland. Mr Garland was first looked to. On raising the body it was seen that the right side of the face was blown away by a gunshot. Underneath the body lay the weapon with which the terrible deed had been accomplished, a doublebarrelled breech-loading fowling piece. The wound was of such a nature that death must have been instantaneous, and the position in which the body was found showed that it was so. The deceased was dressed only in his night-shirt, drawers, and dressing-gown. In the bed she had slept in, covered with the bedclothes, lay the body of Mrs Gai'land, with a fearful wound in the back of the head, visible to those entering the room. In her case, too, death must have been instantaneous, the whole of the upper side of the head being blown away. Dr. Hayes having examined the bodies and pronounced life extinct, Constable Morton made a search for anything that would throw light on this painful catastrophe, and in one of the pockets of the decefised's coat found the following letter, addressed to "Mr Broom," and supposed to be intended'for Inspector Broham, Timaru :— ' 'April 30th. Mr Broom : Sir,— This letter is to let you know that I did this act of injustice to my wife and myself, and my children, and God, and may God forgive me. There is £40 in the cash-box which belongs to Mrs Swinton, my sister, and a cheque on the Bank of New Zealand, Christ* church, for money I have put in the Bank of New Zealand with my own account, be longs to Mrs Swinton, and I wish that money (£7O) paid to Mrs Swinton at once. There is £170 in the Bank of New Zealand to my account, and I wish it to be paid over to my brother, Henry Garland, or to see my children right according to law, and Mr Holmes, my solicitor, to act with my brother, so that my children get what be longs to me. If there is anything else, sell all you can, divide it between the four children — three boys and one girl — now alive. Let them all have the same. If what is written down by me is not right according to law, the law must put it right for my four children. — Joiim Garlanj>." It is said that Mr Garland received a telegram that a tenant of a property in Christchurch belonging to him had failed, in consequence of which Mr Garland fwould lose £400 or £500. This seemed to trouble him somewhat, but not very seriously, and it certainly seems insufficient to furnish a motive for so terrible a crime. There is some talk of domestic unliappiness as the probable cause, but there is no information on this point. Garland was a native of Jersey, and had been in the colony about eleven years. He formerly had the Railway Hotel at Christchurch.

Timaru, May 3. At the Arowhenua tragedy inquest yesterday nothing fresh was elicited, but the evidence showed that financial troubles had probably urged Garland to commit the aeed . The juryu ry returned a verdict — " That J. W. Garland committed the deed, but that no evidenco had been given as to his sanity,"