THE PAHIATUA TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 8, 3 February 1909, Page 2

THE PAHIATUA TRAGEDY.

lIAIiKY THOMAS'S KKAIiKCI, DEE)). Knrlhcr particulars of the Iragcdy at Waiowaka, near IVmgaroa, when Harry 1 hoinas. a settler, shot, dead his sou William. aged IS, and then killed himself, .show I hat -Mrs. Thomas was in the bedroom at. the time, anil on hearing the report oi a gun, rushed out, meeting Thomas at Ihe door, lie pointed the gun at her, but she got hold of it, and alter a short struggle, during whieh Thomas exclaimed, " I will kill you.' 1 she got away, ran outside, and made lor tlie bush. 'Thomas followed his wife a'ad fired a shot at her, but without eftoct. lie then direeled attention to his daughter, aged fourteen years, but she managed to escape, and ran to the house ol a settler named lloadley, about a mile along Ihe road. Thomas, seeing that he could not overtake her, went back to his house, loaded the gun again, and pull Ihe barrel in his mouth and fired, blowing his right cheek away. Thomas left I'ahiatua on Friday accompanied by his wife and daughter, and on iheir way out Ihcy met their only son. William, on the lluia road, lie was rilling on!. and they were driving. They went hom« together. and on arrival there the son proceeded to light a lire in the kitchen stove. Mrs. Thomas and her daughter, being wet, rain having fallen heavily o-,i Ihe journey, went into the bedroom to change their dollies. Thomas unharnessed Ihe horse Ironi the gig. Ahont five minutes afterwards he entered Ihe house, and the lirst tiling that attracted Mrs. Thomas's attention was the report of the gull J as already staled. She then saw her son William roll over in front of the fireplace. I