SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1847, 31 January 1889, Page 3

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Perth, January 21, Early last Thursday morning the usually quiet town of Newcastle was thrown into a state of alarm in consequence of the news spreading that an old and respected settler had during the night been murdered, and that a boy bad bean Beriouely wounded. It appears that a man named John Johnson, alias " Yorkey" Johnson, has for a short time past been working for Mr McPherson on the letter's farm near Newcastle. Last night,according to the statement of Miss Jessie McPherson, one of the daughters, Johnson got into her room, and, after forcibly taking liberties with her, endeavored to indecently assault her. She, however, .managed to get away from him, and ran to her parents' bedroom screaming. Mr McPherson, who was ia bed, immediately struck a light and was just rising from his bed when Johnson rushed into the room and shot him through the brain with a gun. He then set on to Mrß McPherson and beat her to death with the butt end of the gun. Miss Jessio McPherson hearing the report of the gun had, in the meantime, jumped through a window, but her brother, a lad of 11 years of age, ran into his parents' room to see what was the matter. Before he, however, had time to even identify the murderer he was dealt a severe blow over the head with the gun, and felled to the ground. He remained insensible for some time, and is | not expected to recover. Tho daughter I is positive as to the identity of the murderer, whose name she knows as Johnson. On receiving tho alarm Sergeant Farley at once mustered all the police he could and set out in pursuit of Johnson. His tracks were easily picked up and were followed by tho police for about a mile, when Johnson's swag was found. For some unaccountable reason the murderer's dog had left his master and was also discovered. Mr McPherson arrived in the colony with his brothers, the late Donald McPherson and Mr Duncan McPherson, upwards of forty years ago. The police kept up the search until Sunday, when Johnson was found deud eighteen miles from Newcastle. A gua was lying across his breast, and it is supposed that he shot himself.