THE COBURG TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1463, 4 February 1886, Page 3

THE COBURG TRAGEDY.

Some additional particular* of the tragedy at Coburg, Victoria, are givn in the telegram* published in the Hobart Mercury. It appear* that Charles Hampton, a Pentridge warder of 23 years’ itanding, residing with hi* wife and family of four grown-up daughters and three eons at Louisa street, Coburg, was roused about midnight by his eldest son, aged about 25, who bad been awakened by cries of pain coming from the room where hi* mother slept with three daughters -two aged about 25 and 21, and the other about nine. The father knocked at the door, and after a threat that he would break it open the mother answered that tht noise bad been caused by the child being ill. The man retired again to rest, but next morning about 6 o’clock the two elder daughters were discovered lying dangerously wounded, and the child rolledlnp in a blanket with its head nearly severed from the bodji Tht mother was arrested. The survivors are making satisfactory progress. The youngest daughter has made a statement to the doctors and detectives. She says thero was some society or other endeavouring to influence them in order to make them go to the bad, and their mother asked them which they would choose— death or a bad life, and they concluded to accept death. They agreed to put an end to one another, and they aiked God if they were doing as he wicbed, and they were answered by peals of thunder and shaking of the windows, which they considered to be in the affirmative. There wai a great stonui and they thought they beard people outside trying to break in upon them, and they *et to work to kill each other by catting eseh others' arms, and decided upon killing the youngest child first. The girl says she fainted at this stage of the murder, but icon afterward* recovered, and exclaimed, "It was God's will she should not doit.” The mother waited to see the other* die $ but meanwhile daylight broke in upon them, and the eldest ion was communicated with by one of the girls,