A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 94, 9 April 1908, Page 2

A HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

THREE CHILDREN MURDERED

WIPE AND TWO CHILDREN' BADLY JNJUKEJ).

UUTXDKItKI! SHOOTS JllilSKM-". Per Press Association. Inycrcargill. Wednesday. A shocking tragedy was enacted in South Invercargill in the early morning- .Tunics liooil Baxter, seed merchant, attein[ited to murder his wile and family. Three children are dead nail tin; wife and two others have lus-ii removed to the hospital in a critical condition.

Baxter committed suicide by exploding a ilclomtoiyeap.

Tile tragedy was evidently premeditated. The victims were attacked Willie asleep with all axe. Basil, aged nine, Boy, aged four, and Bona Id, aged two, arc dead. Phyllis, aged eleven, and a baliy, aged six weeks, and the mother, aged tlurly-scven, are. in the hospital. I Hopes of their recovery are slight. The tragedy was discovered by a caller, who, getting no answer, communicated with the police. The victims wen found in bed.

Baxter w.,s aged 43, and had a snop u town and carried on a nursery. There is no apparent motive for in; crime,

THfc. imuuest.

AUSSlONftJiY'ti AWFUL DIbOOVTOIO. A UKUJASOiIL STOKY. Invercargill, Last Night.

An inquest commenced at Liiu lions of the tragedy at four u cluck this a ternoon before Air. W. A. Stout, J.L and a jury, of whom E. Webber \n foreman.

Mr. Stout having explained that the jury was summoned to enquire into the deaths of James K. Baxter and his three children, Basil, Koy and Ronald, the jury viewed the bodies, which were lying exactly in the positions m winch iuey were discovered. This gruesome duty accomplished, Sergeant MathieSon, who conducted the inquiry for the police, -said that the only evidence he proposed to call at this stage was Unit of m>:. -»"•-. Lean, who would identify the bodies, lie

would then ask for an adjournment to see whether Mrs. Baxter would be able

to give her evidence. Archibald McLean, chief missionary in lnvercargill, said: 1 reside next door on the right to the house occupied by the deceased, and i was intimately acquiinted with him and his family. The two boys lying dead in the front room are Basil and Roy, and the one in the uacic bedroom is Ronald. «f heard no noise or disturbance last night. My bedroom faces this house iind until" 10.J.3 lash, night I was in a room precisely opposite the window of Mrs. Baxter's bedroomI noticed nothing unusual in Mr Baxter's manner lately. I know he has been ill of late, and heard that, he had British cholera. 1 believe Baxter was down at the Blull' one d ly during his illness, and fell oil' a rock. I made the discovery between HUo and 11 this morning. 1 came to the trout window, raised the blind, ai.d saw the bodies of Basil and Koy. Prior to that 1 had noticed that there was no life or movement about the place. 1 s.iw that the blinds were down when I wont out side in the morning. Hearing someone calling out, 1 went to the window. As 1 stated, I ran straight acres* lo Mic South lnvercargill police station, and telephoned for the police, who arnml in ten minutes, followed immediately bj Dr. Jiwurl and llu- ambulance. Tii.' police took possession of the house, aud i saw Mrs. Baxter, the baby, and i'h/l I lis removed to the hospital. 1 t.ien accompanied Sergeant Mathicson into the house. Entering by the front window we made a hurried examination oi Hie two bodies in the front room, and found life extinct. In the room immediately behind was Boy, who was cle.d in Hie, bed, and Phyllis was on the floor alive but unconscious. She was lyin" on one elbow and one hand, with the bjior hand stretched out in front of her. We next entered Mrs. Baxter's bedroom. As we went, she raised herself, turned towards the door, and said; "What is the mattery" She sat back unconscious. The baby was in a cut alongside, also conscious. Having found that three oi the inmates were alive, f hurried back to the telephone and hurried up the ambulance and doctor. We then continued our search. The door into tile scullery, through which the bathroom wan reached, was locked. We went outside and looked through the bathroom window. Seeing a body in the batn, we burst open the door, and found Baxter lying in the bath, which was full of w :- ter. His legs from the knees were sticking over the cud of the hath as though deceased had been sitting On the end of the bath and had fallen backwards. Baxter was dead and was moling the gun (produced) in one hand, the muzzle pointing tow..ids his feet. ine gun contained a discharged cartridge in the breech. The stone-scraper (produced) was also found here. Inspector Mitchell had arrived by this time with (Constable Lennon, and* the tour of us lifted the body on to the kitchen table where it now lies. Everything was done by the police with the ucim" t despatch. The injured ones were in the ambulance within 30 minutes after my terrible discovery.

The .inquest was then adjourned till next Tuesday, at 7 p.m., i„ the Courthouse, but if Mrs. jfaxter is „ 1)t th(1I1 ;„ a coiHlition l„ g,ve evidence the imiuest will be further adjourned'.