SENSATIONAL MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8065, 22 March 1906, Page 2

SENSATIONAL MURDER.

WELL-KNOWN SPOUT THE VICTIM. ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. •IEALOI'SY" THE CAUSE. l'Kll PRESS ASSOCIATION'. I'.u.MKiisTo.v Xoimr, tl arch 21. A sensational murder and attempted suicide occurred here Ibis afternoon. The police, shortly before six , o'clock, received word that the wellknown horse trainer, Fred Murtitt, and 1 his wife, were lying on the lloor of the 1 dining-room of their house in FitzherI bert street, dead. i The intelligence was brought by a J young man named Crottic, employed as a rider for Murfitt, and who in riding , round to the back yard of the house had caught a glimpse of the bodies through the window. The police, on entering the house, found that Murlitt was dead with a [ bullet wound at the back of his head, i and the woman, who was;lymg beside ' hint was alive, though unconscious. , An' investigation showed that the l latter was shot through the left breast. > A revolver was lying near by. | Medical aid was called, aud the 1 woman partially regained couseious- ■ uess. She was sent to the Hospital. It is , expected that she will live, ) 'The surmise is that Murfit was shot j by the woman in a lit of jealousy, and £ that the latter then shot herself. Murfitt was about 39 years of age. He had several horses in traiuing at Kokowkitu, and rode three winners at the last Welbngton Trotting Meeting. WOMAN'S DYING DEPOSITIONS AN IRRESISTIBLE IMPULSE. Latee. The woman, in her dying depositions at the hospital, said she shot Murfitt while he was leaning under the bed to pull a box out. She did not intend to kill him, having bought tho revolver to shoot hcr- . self, but was overcome by an irresistible passionate impulse. She was not Murfitt's wife, but had lived with him oil and oft for some years, and was very much disturbed al a rumour that he was going to marry a , niece, at whose house Murlitt was in : the habit of having his meals ' The woman's case is serious. She is also suffering from an incurable disease. ■ After shooting MurlUl, tbe woman procured a pillow for his head, and I hen lay down beside him, and, putting the weapon to her left side, tired with the intention, apparently, of striking the heart, but the bullet broke a rib and was deflected. The tragedy was discovered by a jockey in Murfitt's employ. The woman was unconscious when discovered. On reviving she exclaimed : "Oh Fred, I didn't mean ; but you made me do it." The incident has created a great sensation, the deceased man being widely known.