THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7765, 17 March 1905, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON TRAGEDY.

(Per Press Association.) B WELLINGTON", March 10. An inquiry was conunenctol to-day I] into the circumstances connected with the death of John Rousseß and | Mary Hughes-, whose dead bodies

| were found at Rintoul Street yestcrr ( day morniiJig. The circumstances ol 5. the case were that Mrs pug-h, the I womata Hug-hes, and Lanier's two ) sons lived in the same house as ; I liousseli. The latter who carried on > business as a saddler, was in !inan- . (ial difficulties, and had been ftd- ' vised of impending divorce procced- < iugs, in which he and Mis Mughcs • | were, to be joined us parlies. The in--1 quest on the man was taken first. 1 The evidence showed that deceased was found in his workshop with his brains- blown out, in such a position as to make suicide tile only possible conclusion. He was in good f lieaJth, and had given no indication of his intention to put an Ond to his , li; e. A verdict of suicide whiie temporarily insane was returned. | At the inquest on the woman. Mrs J'ugh, her mother, gave evklui e that she had heard her daughter say she would take her life. That was at a time when she suffered ii out headache.: | l'r. Perkins stated that the woman s condition when found in Houssell's bedroom suggested death by poisoning, but he had been unable ; to find trace of any pojson or signs of congestion or hemorrhage. There Iw as blood on the sheet of the bed, and bloody froth on her mouth. The woman's body was colder than jlfoussell's; this suggested that silo died first. I Wifiiam Hughes, husband of the deceased, said ho had lived huppilv with liis wife until they made ltousJseirs acquaintance. His wife left early in .January without wnrn■lng, and he was taking proceedings .for divoice. Some years ago she was very ill, an d had s a id she |.woirld be glad to die. Witness had not seen his wife from the day she 'left him, with her mother and cliil■drat, to g 0 and live with Roussell. I At this stage the inquest was adjourned until Monday, when the result of the analyst's examination of 'abte Moumn ' s slo "iacli will be uvail-