SHOCKING TRAGEDY. A FATHER KILLS HIS CHILD. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 390, 3 August 1889, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY. A FATHER KILLS HIS CHILD. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Auckland, July 31. Mvdnky papers to hand to-day contain particulars of a shocking occurrence. A man named William Hunter, residing at 24, Chambers-street, otf Bay - street, Glebe, while suffering from the influence of drink, attacked two of his children. One of them, four years of age, he stabbed in the neck and killed. He then attempted to kill the other, but the wounds were not fatal. Tho man then attempted to commit anioido by cutting his throat. The alarm having been given a number of tho neichbouis went into the house and found the father and children lying; covered with blood. The assistance of the police was obtained, and the thi'oe were removed to tho Prince Alfred Hospital. The doctor there pronounced the man to bo sullering from delirium tiemens. William Hunter is a middlo-aged man, and at one time kept a hotel ab Springhurst, Victoria, with a sign, "Live and Let Live," which boars a very ironical application to tho desperate deed.-, of Wednesday night, JTor many years, however, accoi cling to his wife's statement, ho has been in a humbler position of life, owing to his intemperate habits and at tho time of the muider he was employed as a carter by the City Carrying 1 Company. Accordingly tho family weie settled in a house suited to their means, and wero living at 24 Cham-bers-stieet, in a low-lying locality oil Bay-street, Glebe. Mrb Hunter, a respectable, hard-working woman, who ap peared somewhat dazed with sorrow, excitemontand the hundred and one inquiries wi'A\ which she had been beteigcd&ince early morning, stated that her husband had been out of work for some little time, and on the evening of the muider kept talking to himself and uttering vague threats, such as "he might as well kill them all," varied by fits of praying and oilers of personal violence. She, however, perceiving that he had what &ho called "a tit of tho blue devils," did her best to keep him in a good temper, a.id all went well until he seized the lamp and threw it on the ground. Mr*. Hunter seemed undecided whether he intended to strike her with it or not, but in any case she had by that time become thoroughly alarmed and endeavomed to escape. Her husband, however, seized her outside the house and dashing her to the ground tried in his own words, to "do tor her,"' by banging her head aganict the kerbstone. All this time the unfortunato woman screamed loudly and Hunter then appears to have re-entered the house, to have cut his little girl's throat, and to have endeavoured to slay the little boy. In the meantime the whole neighbourhood had been roused, and Henry Byles and W. Miller, who lived in the same terrace a few doors away, rushed to tho spot. Looking through the window they saw Hunter kneeling over a moving object, dimly descried in the darkness as the boy Frederick, and flourishing a bteel blade in his hand. The murderer then saw that he was observed and got up. This gave the child a chance of escape, and he rushed from the house, covered with blood, and Byles, understanding that the drunkard was now in the house alone, closed the door and sallied oil" for the police. Constables Ball, Rochford and Stanton were soon on the spot and were told by IVlrs Hunter, who was running up and down the pavement outside in a state of distraction, that her husband was murdering the little ones. They thereupon went s\\ iftly into the house, preparing themselves for a warm reception, but found Hunter lying motionless upon the couch against the further wall of the little room. He was groaning, and blood was pourine from his fchroat. In tho inner room they found the child Annie lying on a bed literally soaking with blood pouring from a wound in her throat, gasping for breath and evidently in a dying condition. All three sufferers weie then driven carefully away to the Prince Alfred Hospital, where the little girl died a few minutes after admission. Her life had been insured for -C3O with the Citizens' National Assurance Society. Dr. Hinder dress-ed the woundt. of the £>urvi\oi&.