MURDER AND SUICIDE AT CHERTSEY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1842, 19 January 1889, Page 2

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT CHERTSEY.

(From the Ashburton Guardian.) Cheetsbt, Jan. 18. There was a terrible tragedy here tin morning. A man named Francis Fahe deliberately shot his wife and committei suicide immediately afterwards. Fahey was i village settler, living on the settlement about mile north of Ohertsey. It appears that he am his wife were having constant disagrSements and yesterday the wife went to the polio constable at Rakaia to complain of his conduct She stated to the constable that she wouli stay at the house of Mrs Thompson, next doo bat one to her own, till he came down in thi morning. The constable went to Ohertsey b; express train this morning. He was abou seven chains from Mrs Thompson’s house when he saw Fahey outside struggling witl his wife. She was screaming loudly. Sud denly Fahey fired two shots out of a revolve at his wife while he had had hold of her, am she fell. When she was on the ground hi fired another shot into her body. He thei ran out of the section on to the road, Thi constable ran towards him, calling on him t< stop. Fahey ,took no notice of the eonstable’i injunction, but pointing the revolver at hii own head fired. This shot apparently tool no effect, and he again fired. This lime hi fell. When the constable came up to him hi was apparently dead, and the constable wenl to Mrs Fahey, whom he found quite dead Four surfacemen had by thi? time arrived or the scene, and the constable arranged witt them to take the bodies on to Ohertsey on t trolly. Ha then went to Fahey, and finding that he was still alive telegraphed to Ashburton for medical assistance. Sergt. Feltar md Dr Tweed came by the eleven o’clock briin, but Fahey breathed bis list just as the doctor entered the door of the room in which ho was placed. Later. Fahey fired throe shots at his wife. One bullet entered upder the chin, and travelling mtside the jaw bone went out just below the sar. The next bullet entered a little in front )f the right ear, and penetrated deeply into the brain. This was sufficient to cause almost instant death. Another shot entered the abdomen in the vicinity of the stomach. This would hare been mortal, even if the others bad not bad a fatal effect. The-first shot Fahey fired rt himself only grazed the skull, going out of :hs crown of his hat and taking away some o! asir. The next shot entered above the right w and penetrated the brain, but in spite of die terrible injury Fahey lived an hour and :erty minutes after the eeif-inflioted wound, he man just expiring as Dr Tweed arrived rom Ashburton. The bodies now lie at the Jhertsey hotel, where an inquest will be held his afternoon. £lt is supposed that family troubles were he cause of the tragedy. Fahey was in Ashurton on Thursday, with a complaint about is wife leaving him. He saw three or four arriers, and spoke to them about removing is furniture, but when they heard that it ras a case of family trouble they refused to o. He then said, “ You will never see me nder this sun again,” and purchased a jyolver at Mr John Orr’s, with which it is resumed he on his return committed the larder,] Cbbistchfech, Jan. 18. Francis Fahey, who shot his wife and tempted to shoot himself at Ohertsey, near ahburton, was known hero under the aliases Lichasl Fahey and Michael Slattery. He as formerly nigh! watchman for the Bank . 1 New Zealand, and drove a cart for the iffojk Brewery. H° was addicted to drink. I