A DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1917, Page 4

A DOUBLE TRAGEDY.

■» MURDER AND SUICIDE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Nelßon, Last Night. A double tragedy is reported from' the Howard goldfiald, a few miles from Murchison, where two miners named Abraham Turner, aged about 60, and James Knight were found dead in a hut on a. claim they worked in partnership. They had been on a visit to Nelson last week, and after the return Knight de« veloped delirium tremens, and Turnef had to get the assistance of other mun ers to look after him. A man named Lcarnmonth stayed in the hut on Saturday morning to get stores. On his return at 10.20 a.m. hn found Turner dead on the floor and Knight on the bed with his throat cut in two places, but still alive. Learnmontll went to communicate with the police, and 911 returning about noon found that Knight had exploded a detonator in hi* mouth, which inflicted terrible injuries. He died about an hour later. An examination showed that Turnef had received a blow behind the ear, evi« dently inflicted with the back of aa axe. i The liodies were taken to Murchison, where an inquest was held to-day. A verdict was returned that Turner died from injuries inflicted with a blunt instrument, there being no evidence to show how or by whom the blow was delivered, and that Knight died from injuries Belf-inilieted while in a state of unsound mind. Knight attempted to commit suicide some months ago by cutting his throat.