TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1920, Page 5

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

MURDER AND SUICIDE. FARM BOY KILLS CHILD. CASE OF UNUSUAL FEATURES. iiy Telegraph.—Press Assocl»tloE Masterton, Last ?Tight. The mysterious disappearance of a child yesterday morning developed into one of the most tragic affairs that have ever occurred in the district, the child's body having been discovered in circumstances which point to its having been foully murdered, and the body of the supposed perpetrator of the outrage being found in the Waingawa River .vith a gun by its side and the head severely shattered. \ It appears that a lad*named Edward William Hay, aged eighteen years, who was in the employ of Mr. George McKenzie on his farm at Fernridge, about six. miles from Masterton, had gone out to fill some hay ricks for the sheep, and the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie had walked over to the ricks, which tare only a few hundred yards from the homestead. The boy and the child were seen playing together about 1.15 p.m., and the boy Hay is said, to have gone biter about half a mile distant to feed a lamb. When Hay returned to tho homestead about 1.30 p.m. the child was not with him, and Mrs. McKenzie asked where he was. Hay stated that he had not seen him, and was sent out to lo.'! for him. Hay returned a short while afterwards and reported that he could not find the child. BOTH DISAPPEAR. J.lrs. McKenzie became, alarmed, and sent the boy out again to look for the child. Hay went to the property of a neighbour (Mrs. Gorringe), and asked if anything had been seen of Gavin (meaning the child). He was told that thero had been nothing seen of him, and he returned to the homestead, where, he reported to Mrs. McKenzie that he had been unable to find the child, and said, "You call Gavin; he might answer." Mrs. McKenzie went out and called, but could hot get no answer. This tvas about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Oil returning to the house, Mrs. McKenzie found that the lid had disappeared, iind that a double barrelled gun which was in the front portion of the house was missing. As neither the lad rior the child again appeared, Mrs. McKenzie became alarmed, and communicated with neighbours. A search was made, and eventually a message was sent to the police in Masterton. As night drew near the search party increased in numbers until about forty were engaged in an attempt to solve the mysterious problem. Neither the lad nor the infant child was found, although Hay's coat was discovered. FINDfNG THE BODIES. The search was renewed at daylight to-day, and about 11 o'clock Stanley Drongool announced that he had found the body of the lad Hay. The body was lying in water on the southern bank of the Waingawa River, with a shotgun on top of it. A piece of bootlace was attached to the trigger of the gun. Apparently, Hay had waded into the river before committing suicide, and had fallen back into the water. The body ■was removed from the water, and it was found that the mouth and the back of the head were shattered. It was evident, therefore, that the lad had placed the muzzle of the gun in his mouth and discharged it with the assistance of tho bootlace on his foot. No other marks jof violence were found upon the body, I which was fully clothed. An examination of the gun showed that the right barrel had been discharged, and the left was loaded. The search party then resumed its search for the child, and about midday the body was found in a creek about two hundred yards from the homestead. It was lying on its side ! n about eighteen inches of water, and was covered with loose gorse. It was found that the infant had been frightfully mutilated, its head having been split open with a sharp instrument, making a wound about four inches in length, but no other jnarks of violence were discovered. An axe was found in the creek aTiout a yard away from the child's body, and it is quite apparent that this was the weapon with which the deed was committed. Both bodies were removed to the house of Mrs. McKenzie, where an inquest will bp held on Saturday morning by the district coronerHAY'S RECORD. The lad Hay, who appears te have been responsible for the outrage, had been employed in the district for several years. He had been for about two years at work on the farm of Mr. McKenzie. He. had been an inmate of an industrial school, and was licensed out. His parentage is somewhat uncertain, though his father is supposed to have committed suicide.