HORRIBLE TRAGEDY AT AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1915, Page 5

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY AT AUCKLAND.

WOMAN AND CHILD KILLED. MURDERER ATTEMPTS SUICIDE!. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A ghastly tragedy occurred to-night, when a half-castle named George Gordon, a laborer by occupation, murdered a single woman named Martha McKoc, with whom he had been living fur eighteen months, and also their child, aged eight months. ■ It appears 1 hat Gordon attacked the child with the butt find of a hatchet,' Smashing its head practically to pulp. He then attacked MeKee with the hatchet, indicting terrible injuries, and both victims died in the hospital shortly after admission, - The murderer afterwards cut his own throat from ear to ear with a razor, and slashed his abdomen, inflicting a great wound, and he lies in the hospital in a dying condition. There is every indication of a deliberate and sudden attack. Gordon and the woman lived in a room in Ilobson Street, on the first floor, the room overlooking the street. Nothing was known of the tragedy until a sister of McKee called and found the doors and windows locked. There was another child, aged about 2 1 /, years, in the room, apparently the child of Gordon's marriage, the whereabouts of his wile being unknown. Gordon did not attack this child, and McKce's sister succeeded in getting her to push the key under the door, and she thus gained admission.

Very little is known of Gordon's antecedents. He came to Auckland from Kihikihi some weeks ago, and a letter addressed to his mother nt Kihikihi refers to his intention to do something violent in a definite way to. 1 the children, who were left alone in the room this morning. Shortly after 11 o'clock Gordon entered the house and went upstairs.

The landlord states that he did not see him again. The woman McKee returned about three o'clock, and the landlord states that during the next couple of hours the only sound from Gordon's room was as if a bed was being moved. There was no scream nor sound of a struggle. Cordon is sinking rapidly.