DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1921, Page 5

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

MURDER AND SUICIDE CASE. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wanganui, Last Night. The inquest was held to-day in connection with the recent tragedy at Nukumaru. No fresh light was thrown on the matter and the coroner found that Bertha McGorman was murdered by her husband and the latter committed suicide. The McGorman family lived at an old accommodation house at corner where the Nukumaru station road branches off the main road. The tragedy was enacted about a quarter of a mile along the main road and close to the seventeen mile post. Evidently Mrs. McGorman had struggled for her life, there being a cut on one hand where she grappled for the razor blade. After killing his wife McGorman dragged her body into a water-table and then walked across the road, sat down and cut hie own throat. Then he climbed a stout seven wire fence and walked a hundred yards down a paddock, where he was found in the morning in a dying state. McGorman w reputedly a wealthy man. owning several farms. Mrs. McGorman was a woman of a kindly nature and was held in the greatest esteem. Evidence showed that McGorman had been queer lately, but he was on the best terma with his wife. FURTHER PARTICULARS. With reference to the case of murder and suicide at Nukumaru, the Wanganui Chronicle states: The tragedy evidently took place early on Tuesday evening and within about 200 yards of the house, both bodies being found there. The indications were that McGorman, cut his wife’s throat with a razor and then cut hia own, after which he dragged himself to the side of the road, where he lay, still alive, and soaked to the skin, yesterday morning. The conditions in the McGorman hous’ehold on Tuesday evening were normal’. After tea, at which McGorman, hie wife, son (aged 8 years) and the worker were present, the two parents set out for a school committee meeting. Relations had been normal. There had been no suggestion of a quarrel. McGorman and his wife did not reach the school committee meeting. Tn the meantime the worker and the boy retired to bed and went to sleep. It being customary to rouse the man in the morning, the man slept in late. When he go up he found nobody except the boy in the house. Then he went to have a look round, and found the body of the woman on the road and McGorman in a paddock near by, still alive. Constable Willets, of Waitotara, was summoned, but McGorman expired almost immediately on his arrival. The deceased and his wife resided at the old accommodation house at Nukumaru, about 18 miles from Wanganui. McGorman was well known in Wanganui. The late Mrs. McGorman’s relatives reside in New Plymouth. The nearest European neighbor is about mile away. Maoris live much closer, but they did not hear anything.

So far as is known, there was no cause for the murder. It is suggested that jealousy may have been the reason, but that seems to have been groundless. The family were in good circumstances. and temporary mental derangement would seem to have been the cause of the tragedy. That it was premeditated. however, is shown by the fact that McGorman took the razor with him. It was stated yesterday that there had evidently been a quarrel, but further investigation by Constable Willetts disclosed that the disorder in the house was not the result of a quarrel. Prior to going to bed the man and the boy had been sky-larking and. knocked over a couple of chairs. , ... There was no suggestion of drink in connection with the tragedy. The family consists of four boys and two girls. One of the girls had been staying in New Plymouth, but was due to return home on Wednesday. The youngest of the family is aged five. Mrs. McGorman was a Miss Anstis, daughter of Mr. W. Anstis, a well known and highly respected resident of Westown. She was much younger than her husband.