THE AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE AUCKLAND TRAGEDY.

A SO&DED T4LB. J EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. The full story of the ghastly tragedy in a Hoti-son street boanlinghouse on I 1 ridav, December fj, when a young wo-1 man named Rosanna Nora Gordon, aged twenty-two, and her ten-months-old child May, were murdered bv George Gordon, with whom the woman'had been living for eighteen months, and who fatally injured himself after committing; the crime, was told to the Auckland coroner, Mr. P. V. Frazer, S.M., last week, when the inquest 00 tU 'three bodies was resumed. The chief detectiva conducted the case. Evidence throughout, where it concerned the relationship between the woman .Rosanna McKee and the man Gordon, was taken on the presumption that they were man and wife, though this relationship was not certain and could not be testified to by any of the witnesses. Martha McKee, a waitress, sister ofi the deceased woman, said it was the custom of her sister to go out with her to work in the morning, leaving Gordou to look after the children. She left on the morning of the tragedy, and shortly after 4 o'clock called at the boardinghouse to see the deceased. She was told by the proprietor, Mr. Williams, that her sister and Gordon had been having a row. She went upstairs and found the door locked, and on listening heard her sister moaning and then the younger child crying. She called to Mr. Williams, who told her to go round by the fire escape to the front of the room. She did so, and found the blind down and tie window shut. She shouted to Mr. Williams to come up. He tried the door, but could not open it with keys he had. Witness told him that she would have to fetch the police, and in order to avoid that Mr. Williams went in search of more duplicate keys to try to open- the door. Meanwhile witness managerd to make the elder girl Rene, aged about three years, remove the key and pass it under the door. They opened the door and went in. Witness was just behind Williams. "When I entered the room," continued the witness, "I saw a big pool of blood, and my sister lying on the floor. Gordon was lying close to her. The little one was lying 011 the bed, while the child Rene was also in the room. I then rushed away with Rene to the place where I live." About a fornight ago, continued Miss McKee, her sister told her she intended to leave Gordon on account of his illtreatment, and she complained that night before he had tried to choke her while he was drunk. "I DID IT." Dr. Stride deposed to being called to the boardingliouse. arriving' at about G. 30. Witness told Gordon lie was the polio,- surgeon, and asked him, <; Who did it?" Tie replied: "I did it myself, intentionally, after tomahawking both the woman and the child." Further medical evidence was given by Or. Grant, acting medi.al superintendent at the Auckland Hospital. He referred to a conversation he had with the deceased man on the night of the 3rd irist., in the course of which ho asked the dying man if he hit his wife on the head with the tomahawk with the intention of killing her. TTe replied "Yes," and aMo confcs-ed that he deliberately killed the chill and injured himself with the intention of committing suicide.

The Coroner: Could you form any opinion as to the state of his mind? Witness: T-Te seemed very clear in hN mind and spoke, a* though lie had meditated the tiling for a long time. Constable MrGiiire stated that he found certain letters (produced). Translations of the letters were attached, and are as follow: "To the Crown of Now Zealand,— There is nothing against me, nor have I anything against anybody, but the trouble is solely between my second

wife and myself. T cannot come to my parents' home. My wife is very disagreeable. Crown will see to tliis.

"Another matter is: There is a daughter of my wife's. The child is hers, not mine, and the little -child was registered in my name after Rose gave birth to it. There are a good many things which cannot be mentioned which my wife had done. This is in reference to her actions.—l remain, ißawhaitua Gordon." This letter was not dated.

"Auckland, December 2, 1915.—T0 Herehere,—Greeting to you and your grandchildren. May the light shine in your hearts. You are not to be sorrowful over me nor the acts I am to do, for it cannot be helped. T am fated to do this act. Herehere, so far as you are concerned, you will be all right with the help of her grandchildren. Do not think of me. I am not worth thinking about. That is all I have. With regards to you, greetings." The letter concluded with instructions as to distribution of some properties, bade farewell to Herehere and hia grandchildren, and was signed "Bawhaitua Gordon."

A further letter from a male friend at Waiultu to the deceased woman, in which allusion was made to a meeting and the hope expressed that they would see each other again, was also read, but the coroner observed that the contents were quite innocent. The coroner found that Rosanna Nora Gordon and May Gordon were murdered hv George Gordon and died from injuries caused bv a tomahawk, and that George Gordon died from shock and effect of injuries self-inflicted. |