(Tragic Sequel to an Elopement.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 383, 10 July 1889, Page 6

(Tragic Sequel to an Elopement.

A tragedy attended by very extraordinary circumstances has occurred atNewcastle-on-Tyne. The inhabitants of No. 42, Ryehill, were aroused abgut four o'clock in the morning, and on opening the front door they found a young woman lying on the stop bleeding from a wound in the temple, with a revolver lying by her side, and evidently on the point of death. She was recogni&ed as Miss Theresa Matthews, who up to the previous Saturday had lodged at the same house, and on that day disappeared inavery singular manner. A few hours afterwards the young woman expired. It appears that Miss Matthews was employed as a barmaid at a restaurant in Newcastle, and there she met a man named David Hildrop, who was engaged at the same place. Notwithstanding that Hildrop has a wife and two children living in the city, he has been paying attentions to Miss Matthews, and it is alleged that six weeks ago they went' away together to London, and were secretly married. They both returned to Newcastle Matthews returning to live at her lodgings in Rye-hill and Hildrop going back to his wife, who apparently had no reason to suspect what was going on. Nothing occurred to disturb the relations of the guilty couple until about a week ago, when Matthews' employers discovered something of t,he real state of affairs, and discharged her. To avoid further exposure, Hildrop and the girl eloped, and on Wednesday week Mrs Hildrop lound them living at a temporance hotel in Darlington. Having obtained evidence sufficient to justify her in initiating proceedings for divorce, Mrs Hildrop left them at Darlington, and returned to Newcastle. Nothing moro was heard of the bigamist or the barmaid until Saturday, when the body of the latter was found as described on the doorstep of her old lodgings. On making inquiries, the police learned that Hildrop and the youngr woman had •been seen together in Rye-hill about two o'clock in the morning. The man was subsequently arrested, and brought before the magistrates on Saturday on a charge of having caused the death of Theresa Matthews. Prisoner stoutly denied having, committed the murder, and said the deceased shot herself in his presence, and he thea ran away. A letter was found upon the prisoner, from which it appeared that he contemplated committing suicide, and a letter was also found on the deceased, stating that she intended to end her misery by taking her life. The prisoner was remanded for a week. The affair has caused great excitement in Newcastle,' but the prevailing idea, which is shared also by the doctor who was called in, is that the deceased has committed suicide. Another correspondent adds :— Miss Matthews was a prepossessing barmaid at tho Custom House Inn, Quayside, and Hildrop was employed there as barman. The former was in lodgings, and had been for some time visited by Hildrop, who there kept up the character of a favoured suitor, while he had tho assurance to have her to tea with his wife as a lady friend in the same place of business. On Saturday inorning, about two o'clock, when Hildrop returned home, he said he had set Miss Matthews down at her lodgings, and that on the steps she had produced a revolver and shot herself. He had come straight home without speaking to anyone. The deceased had been bleeding for two hours before being discovered, and her landlady heard no disturbing sound outside. A pistol was found by the side of the deceased, and an- I other pistol has been found at Hildrop'a house. He is charged with the deceased's muider, but there is some evidence pointing to a pre-ai'ranged double tragedy, and the idea is that Hildrop failed to execute his part of the fatal contract, Her brother in Newcastle received a letter on Saturday from the deceased, bequeathing to him her w*atoh and chain, brooch, and other articles.