A FATHER MURDERS HIS WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN. Terrible Tragedy Near Inverell.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 3

A FATHER MURDERS HIS WIFE AND THREE CHILDREN.

Terrible Tragedy Near Inverell.

Religious Mania the Cause. A tenible tragedy took place at Tnvorell, on August 28th, about '6 o'clock .it the Buk'val'a vineyard, 18 miles north of this place. The proprietor, Mr Wadham Wyndnnm, went to his men's hut and awakened them, # tolling them that he had been oiler - mo hi" 1 - wife and children as a sacrifice that their souls might be saved. They vent o\ei to the house, where they ionnd that hi- wife's nil liad been batfeiedin with a tomahawk and two ehildien h.ul ia'len victim.-;, the oldest a boy 12 years of age, and the thired wounded beyond ieeo\ery. Mr Wyndham is Avell-know n and much respected in Invercll. We was d^otediy attached to his wife, who was a im>[ amiable lady between 30 and 40 \ears ot age, about the same as himself. Ho was alwa\s considered very eccentric by his acquaintances. The sergeant of police and the coroner have gone out, and an in-que-t i- being held to-day. \\ hen Sergeant Tnn ors and Constable \\ eusoi arris ed at the scene they touud the coip-e of Mrs Wyndham in the gaulen neai the house, with the skull batteied in. A few \aul« from her and from each other lay the bodies ot Clillord, a boy of eight yea> -, and Adele, a girl of four yeais. They al-o found Nounun, 10 years, in adding condition. The coroner took his depositions, lie \wb quite sensible, but spoke m ith diliieuity. He .said lie taw his iathei hitting In*, mother with a stone. Hi^ father cutlnm in the side with a knife, lie al-o saw his father stabbing his brother and -i-tev w ith a carving-fork. He died dining the inquest. The children appear to have been killed with a dull carving knife and folk. There are other children. Upon the a anal of the poiice Wyndham appealed a little excited, but soon grew calm. He told them everything about it — how he slept In himself in the same room as his w ite, and how he had awakened her, and carried her into the gaiden and saciiriced her, how .-he lvid -.tiugyled, and how he had taken the vo q on.-. All the particulars veielound coi leet. At the inquest, John Assimus, ■\igneron, fiwployed at the vineyard, deposed that at 1 u clock on Saturday moinmg Xorman Wyn'U::i*n. the lad mentioned, ran up to his hoiw, 150 yanN away, awakening them, that his father was very stiange, and that he wa? ah aid of him. JBefoie long liit father came up inquiring for him. He had noticed an inciea^e of religious mania for •'. few days pa-^t in his employer. Tiie scnant Rich, who slept in .mother put of the house, said that &he did not he it or see anything ot the tragedy. Hucih Wjndham, brother to Wadham Wyndham, who lives a mile and a-half .•iv, .;.%, deposed that learning of the sad i'naii he was proceeding to the "vineyard when he met his biother coming towards him. He leturned with him to the sad -M'ene. He said he had noticed for some d^y-t a peculiai'ity in his brother's demeanour. They are both of the same leligion. Tiie police bi ought Mr Wyndham handeuu'ei to the local prison in his own buggy. He '•ay.- that he is quite satisfied with c.eiy thing that has taken place, but a change now appears to have come oxer him, and he seems to realise his po-ition. He .-ays that he expects to have to nndeigo a tiial and to bo executed, but nsseits that lie had to do the deed as a duty. He i-> a tall, powerful, well-educated man. He stated once at the inquest that hh wife was 29 years of age and afterwards that -he \va a . 33. He has wiibten son.c tiactsi n defence of the lrvingite doctrine, but they aie not remarkable for logic and coherence. He is lodged in the lockup and v. ill be committed on the coroner's warren fc. He appeals generally rational, and no one would imagine him the class of man to commit any deed so terrible.

The Perpetrator Interviewed. The shock of the terrible tragedy at Bukkulla has completely da/ed the community in this town and the whole of tlm district. People are flocking into town to learn the latest particulars. Tl.ere is little further to add to the details, save that yesterday afternoon the unfortunate man, "Wadhnm Wyn*ham. was interviewed -by the Rev. Mr Ewing, Church of England minister here. When admitted 10 the cell the minister "was warmly welcomed by Wyndham, Tho visitor pressed for a reason for the perpetration of the terrible deeds. Wyndham displayed great adroitness in a\oiding the pushing question. '■ Was it the spirit of sacrifice prompted you ?" Mr Ewing asked. "Ah ! what do you know of that ?"' replied the prisoner, ;,vith a look of quick suspicion. This was as "much as could bo gathered from the murderer as to his motive. He was quite fiank in lecountrng the details of the f-laughter. He said that his wife asked him not to kill her, and her pliant went to his heart; "but it was to be done, and with one bang of the stone it was all over." Then the poor wretch burst into an incoherent jumble of religious vociferation, and finally, when leminded that his wife and lie had always been on affectionate terms, lie fell to weeping. "They will call me a murderer," he cried, "but I am not. My hands are quite innocent of blood. You do not understand, none of you can understand — yet. If they knew, the people, they would undei-stand -what it all means." He then told how he and his family went to bed at 9 o'clock after prayers, how that some time after midnight ho awoke, and felt "it must bo done," how that then he took his wife outside and killed her, and then to slay his children. He thanked his visitors for their kindness in coming to see him, " a proof of brotherly love "he called it. He then asked for a Bible, which was given" to him. Upon Mr Ewings departure he entreated that gentleman to visit him as ofton as he could.