THE FOREMAN TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1921, Page 2

THE FOREMAN TRAGEDY.

VERDICT AT INQUEST. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Dec. 5. The verdict in the Foreman tragedy was murder and suicide. The inquest on the victim was resumed before F. K. Hunt, S.M., Coroner to-day. Evidence was given by Dr. Henry, police surgeon, that savage woupds were inflicted on the head, neck and breast of .Jean Foreman. Several were sufficient individually to cause death. Foreman was apparently dead first, after inflicting the wounds. A fruiterer who was driving a cart along Abel Smith Street, deposed to seeing Foreman, whom he knew by sight, pulling a young woman, apparently against her will into a garden of an unoccupied house, No Gl. He did not interfere, because the woman did not call for help. A man, with whom Foreman boarded, said he discovered a letter under the oil-cloth showing a premeditated previous intention to murder his wife and commit suicide. He expostulated and Foreman promised not to repeat it. Witness went away shearing and the tragedy happened in his absence. It would not have occurred had he been at home.

Medical evidence showed that there was enough cyanide of potassium in the flask found in Foreman’s right hand to kill ten people. After giving the verdict the coroner stated that careful inquiries showed that there was no truth in the allegaions of Foreman against his wife, sister-in-law and others. Apparently the man was not responsible for what he said in the letter to the Magistrate.