A CRUEL MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 13 February 1907, Page 2

A CRUEL MURDER.

SLX.SVi'iOXAL TUAULDY IN WELLIXUTON. , OUXG GlllL FATALLY IXJl'lil'd). shot by" liek LOVER. ALLEGED JEALOUSY. l'er Press Association. r Wellington, February 12. r A mild sensation was caused in the t jity early this morning when news got ' )broad that a young girl, aged about ' 17, named Eleanor Pearl Axup, who ' resided with her mother at 02 Abel- ' Smith street, had been shot dead bv ' Claude Paget, a carpenter, aged sonic- ' where between 25 and ;iO, a widower, who recently arrived from Sydney. The tragedy took place about (i.'Jo this morning. The inmates of the house were first alarmed by the ropori of three revolver shots. Whcn'h" dining room was entered, it was found that Miss Axup was prostrate on the floor with her feet just inside I lie door Against the other wall, the young nun was lying with a fool, under a fool of the girl's. A small revolver was near his right hand The fatal shot lodgnd in the girl's brain behind the left ear. Of the other two shots heard, one passed throudi the corner of a v.-nctian blind on :i window opposite the man's position on the lloor and was embedded in ihe sash, and the other cut a hole in the lloor just by the man's right side This shot had evidently been iired while the man was prone. A younger brother of the accused Paget, who lived in the house as a boarder of Mrs Axup, the mother of the victim, was the first to report the tragedy, and when the police arrived on the scene, it was found that the girl was bleeding profusely from behind linear, and was moaning and gasping for breath. Paget was lying partly under her in an apparently insensible condition. Shortly afterwards, Doctors Boyd and Pigeon arrived and examined the injured girl. She lingered For about three-quarters of an hour, and then expired. In the interval Paget recovered from his seeming state of unconsciousness and was charged with murdering Miss Axup Accused made a rambling reply. An examination of the revolver found by his side, showed that threechambers had been discharged, and the other two were still loaded. When Mrs Axup got up this morning, she foind Paget sitting in the kitchen, and asked him what he was doing there. Paget, who is stated to have been "keeping company" with the victim of the tragedy, replied that he had decided to go to San Francisco, and as he would be leaving very shortly, he had come to say "good-bye." He" next asked where Eleanor was, and Mrs Axup replied lhat her daughter was in the 'dining room, just across the passage. . Paget a few seconds afterwards lefi the kitchen and walked into the dining room. A short time elapsed before Mrs Axup heard two shots fired m quick succession, and as she rushed to the dining room she heard a third. She found her daughter lying oil the lloor in a dying condition, and Pagot was also in' a prostrate condition and apparently uueor scions, with a revolver by his side. Medical aid was sought, but nothing could be done to save the girl's lifo. The murderer is a thick-set person, under medium height, about 30 years of age, rather fair in complexion, wiili brown uioustache-a man,with the hands of a laborer. He seemed to be injured when first seen on the lloor, but he was not wounded. Be was dazed by the shock of the tragedy, though his eyes were glazed like those of u man who had been in a lit. The accused has been working at his trade as a carpenter in Wellington since his arrival from Sydney. He has a number of relatives residing in Woihngton, including his mother and brothers, and they have noticed that he has had fits of moodiness of late, It is said that he lost his wife and two children in Sydney some two years or so ago, and his moodiness had increased since that time.

Paget lodged with. Mr Collier ul I Berliampor, aud had taken Miss Axup Ito yisit the Collier's on several occasions. _ Jle appeared to be very fond of the girl, whom lie spoke of as his sweetheart. The Colliers got rather anxious last night when their lodger did not put in an appearance, but on making enquiries of a brother with whom accused worked, the brother said a'cused had informed him that he would not be home that night, as he hud to go to a dentisls to get some teeth extracted. As he did not put in an appearance this morning, Mrs Collier looked in his room to see whether he had removed any of his goods with n yiew to shifting his quarters, but found everything as usual. It was understood that Paget was at Mrs Axup's last night in semi-intoxi-cated state, and was asked to leave. Paget was arrested immediately the police appeared on the scene, and was brought before the Court later in the day. Jle appeared dazed and walked into the dock with his head hanging down, and took no notice whatever of his surroundings. The police asked for and were granted a remand until the 18th iust. '

II A LOVER'S LETTER. VEUDICr OP MUKJJKR e Per p ress Association. l I Wellington, February 12. An inquiry into the death of Eleanor ~ Pearl A xup, the victim of to-day's tragedy, was held this afternoon by the District Coroner, the jury returning the verdict that death was caused by a bulled fired by Claude Paget. The evidence given by the girl's mother, a brother of the accused, and others showed that Paget had visited l _ the house on the previous evening in a ' slate of intoxication. He did not then see the girl. This morning he entered _ the kitchen at (i o'clock, and when ■ Pearl came downstairs into the dining room he followed. A few minutes af. • ter shots were heard, and the girl's mother rushing into the room, saw her ' diuglitjr and Paget lying ou the lloor. ' The girl died within an hour after the ; arrival of the doctors, her ease being hopeless. Paget was not wounded, but ; appeared to be suffering from shock When he recovered he was charged with murder, and replied that he wished he had shot himself. Jn his possession there were -til revolver cartridges. A weapon similar to the one found on the lloor, aud a bag of 50 cartridges, were purchased by Paget at an ironmonger's shop in the city on Monday. The mother in her evidence said there was no engagement in marriage between her daughter and Paget. The latter had asked lhe girl's father for but he had ri fused owing to the girl's tender years.

The following undated letter was found in (lie Jailor's pocket :-" My deal' Claude,—l canm t possibly meet you to-night as 1 have made arrangements to go round Oriental liay this afternoon, and spend the evening, but if you eau come around 10-niorro.r nielli I will be at home. Anyhow K.id, 1 cannot lei you so away ; anything rather than thai. 1,-ouLI never furtive myself if you did go away. Besides, what would your mater think of mo ? No, my dear boy, you will stay with me, and we will not break our on. garment oIT. One thing I will uover 1)0 forgiven for is (hepain I,mused you last night. However, I tan only trv to make you Jinppy now, and I caii as. sure you I will do my best on thai point, providing yon are agreeable tu put uj) with my behaviour. Anyhow. Claude, I hope you will think noi.e the less of me for lelling you thetrulh last nighl, and J trust lo make you as happy as possible in the future. Ask mg your forgiveness, believe me to be, only yours, J'liiiu.." I bone when you eome around to-morrow night you will be in as high spirits as you'were on New Year's Eve. Much love from yours, clc, E.P.A."