A TRIPLE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 12, 8 February 1909, Page 4

A TRIPLE TRAGEDY.

TERRIBLE STOIIY OF A FAMILY FEUD. A terrible triple tragedy, the result of a family feud, occurred in Essex at the end of December. .Mr Frederick James Cole, a well-known resident, and a member of the local Town Council, was found in a stable, with his son-in-law, Mr Major Kitchi-i, both shot dead ; while in a neighbouring meadow Mr Cole's eldest .sou was discovered in a dying condition, with a bullet in his head, Th«j presumption is that the younger Cole shot his father and Mr lutcllin, and then committed suicide. The elder, I'rank James Cole was, in his way, rather a- remarkable man, known personally all over the county. His story, or as much of it as'is to the purpose, begins twenty years <tgo. There appeared at, that time in a London newspaper an advertisement inciting applications for the post of manager of a lish shop in Maldon. Cole was one of the applicants, and when it proved that the advertisement was merely a silly hoax his action showed something of the nature of the man. The other applicants went away, disgusted and disappointed. Cole remained. He made enquiries in the town, and found that there really was some possibility of success for a shop of the kind described in the advertisement; so, gathering together what scanty resources he had, he started in business. With him he brought his wife, throe sons, and three daughters, and in Maldon he remained. Not that he was content with his lish business. In every direction where he saw a chance of earning money he branched out. lie became a butcher, a farmer, a job-master, a dealer in rags and old metal, a hors'e slaughterer, and proprietor of a " roundabout." A few years ago one of the daughters, who still lived with her father and mother, married a man named Kitchin. From this time (says the Standard), family troubles began'. The sons apparently became jealous of their brother-in-law, and the feud

grew so bitter that at last Cole dissolved the partnership bctwee'.! himself and sons. It is said that from the time when they left their father the sons did not appear to he doing so well. Quite recently Frederick James Cole, the younger, was hound over to keep the peace towards his father and brother-in-law, and a few weeks ago the elder man obtained an ejectment order removing his son from a cottage which he occupied. The decision of the. father to leave tho sons, witli whom he had been in partnership, and live with his favorite daughter and son-in-hiw, was the beginning of the last phase of the tragedy. The, discovery of the tragedy was made by Mrs Kitchin, wlio, upon going to the stable, which is about half a mile from tho house, in the field outside till! town, found the. place in darkness. .She lit a piece of candle and called out, but heard nothing except (lie whinny of a horse in one of the stalls. Looking closer, she round her father lying, covered with blood, by the animal's head. Screaming with fright, the woman ran into an outhouse opening into the stable, and here an even greater shock awaited her, for she almost fell over her husband. Both had been shot in the face. The police called 011 Saturday morning at a house in High street, and arrested the two other sous of Mr. Toll l —Edward Henry, aged thirty-two, and James, aged twenty five. Both were in beft and asleep when the police came in. Tn the afternoon they were brought lip by the police, and charged with aiding, abetting, counselling, and procuring Frederick Jatmes Cole the younger to feloniously and wilfully. and with malice aforethought, kill and murder his father, THE INQUEST

was opened on December ]ft. There was (piito a pathetic scene at the commencement of tin? proceedings, Mrs ICitchin giving way to emotion, and having to he led from Hie courthouse in a fainting condition. In Ihe course of her evidence, Mrs Kitell in said that she accompanied her husband and father to Chelmsford- on Ihe night of the 18th, and returned in their conveyance at 11.20. She went home to prepare supper, the others going on to stable the horse. As they did not return, she became alarmed, and i at "i.M she we'll <\\\[ to look for them. She got to the stable at 1.45. The front door was open, so she went in and lit a candle. She found her poor father lving on the floor close to the horse's feet. She spoke to him lmt jrot no answer. She felt him. and lie was cold. There was blood on his hce. She moved him oil one side, and then saw that he was dead. She went "n to the third door, and there saw lier husband, with his face downwards.

The Coroner: Did you speak to him? —Yes. I asked what was the matter. Did you lot any reply ?—No. Did you liud that he was cold ?—Yes, Did vou see blood on his face ?—Oh. ves : his face was covered. She went for assistance. As to the relations between her husband and the rest of the family, she said that there had been an altercation between Frederick Jnmea and her father and liudwwid, the latter having to get police protection, and that

there had been strained relations between them since. Within the previous fortnight she foul noticed a great change ill Fred's appearance, lie looked worried. She did not think that he could have been sano when he committed the murders. Mrs. Annie Maria Cole (widow of the murderer) followed her sister-in-law into the witness-box, and was in contrast remarkably self-possessed. She said that her husband was at his brother's bouse the night before the murders. She called again after eleven, and found that he had left. She was told to go home. She returned to her iiouse, but he was not there, and after waiting till twelve she went to bed. He never returned, and he thought he was spending the night in the waggon. Formerly her husband had worked with his father. They traded as Cole Brothers. Latterly there had been disputes between them, and the partnership was split. She had onee heard Cole senior say to all his sons that he would " bash their brains out." The previous month her husband -and his brothers had writs served o« them to get out of their house in High street. | This worried them nil, but her husband particularly. During the last week he j had cried a great deal. He was very | moody, and would not talk. Did you ever hear your husband threaten lo do bodily injury to his father or anyone else Never. Has lie been a good husband tn you ? —Always very, very good. He had never showed temper. He was a staunch teetotaller, and if ever he was roused to passion it quickly subsided. He had been out of work, and had said to her : "What- can I do to save you nil V If it had not been for you 1 would have been dead before this." She was sure he was not sane when he did the deed. The jury found that the younger Cole wilfully murdered his father and brother-in-law, and afterwards committed felo-de->se.