SHOCKING WIFE MURDER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1895, 23 May 1889, Page 4

SHOCKING WIFE MURDER.

Melbotjene, May 14. Much horror and pity has been excited by the murder committed in the suburb of Box Hill last Thursday afternoon, when Philip C. Plaisted, who is .well-known as an organist and mußi.cian.pf unusual ability, murdered his #lfe.in what appears to be a most ,brutal manner whilst he was suffering from a fit; of insanity. The tragedy was discovered by Mr P. Waller, of Gippsland, a brother of Mrs Plaisted, who had been to town attending the funeral of another, and called on .the PMsteds yabout: /six o'clock in the evening. He knocked both at the front door and at the back, but could sain nor admission. He regarded the circumstances as most peculiar, and he communicated at once witu the local police. Senior Constable Lloyd, who is in charge of the local station, and Constable Jones went to tbv house, which is a large mue-roojaed weather-boarded one. They entered Siud burst open door after door without

discovering anything, At last they cair*) to a simll room at the back, ( u:>rd a;:f.\ven:;!y a ;: ; a waahhousc; for | in it. stood, a large copper, such as is [ used in households during the process jof washing. Here they found the > body of Mrs Plaisted. It was lying on its right side, the left arm was drawn up under the neck, and the right extended. On the left side of the throat was a deep gaping wound and a terrible bruise on the left temple. The room was horribly bespattered in blood, and round the head there was a fearful pool. She was dressed in her ordihary household dress, and there was nothing in her appearance to indicate a struggle. In the boiler itself were found some clothes, all of which were spattered in blood, and from this i<* is conjectured that she recovered consciousness, ascertained her plight, and in the depth of her extremity leant over the boiler and attempted to staunch the wound in her neck as she best could ; faintness, however, soon came over her, and she fell backwards on to the floor, and in her last convulsive attempt to save herself raised her hand to her neck, in the position in which it was found. t he body, when discovered, was quite cold. 'When the tragedy occurred the sole occupants were Mr and Mrs Plaisted, the majority of the family were away attending their uncle's funeral. The eldest girl and one of, the sons, a little boy about six years of age, had dinner with their parents at the usual hour and the father then showed no signs of insanity. They chatted as was their usual wont, and after dinner the daughter left and the boy returned to school. When the school had been dismissed the boy came home and found all the doors locked against him. Nothing could be seen of Mr Plaisted, though some persons declared they hud seen him about 6 o'clock, wheu he jumped the railway gates, and otherwise behaved in an extraordinary manner. About eleven o'clock at night the police discovered him crouching about outside the back fence of the house. He had donbtless wandered away somewhere into the country after he had done the murder, and returned home by instinct when night came on, He was in a most pitiable condition, his hat was off, his head, face, hands and clothes were covered in blood, and the peculiar vacant expression in his eyes showed only too clearly that all reason had left him. There were slight cuts evidently inflicted by some sharp instrument on each side of his neck, his left wrist, and the top of his head. He was very quiet whan arrested, and when asked what he had been doing be made some lambling remarks about his knife refusing to act, and that his wife was now a queen of heaven. M r Plaisted was visited next morning by Dr. Vaughan, who dressed his wounds, They are not considered dangerous. After his wounds were dressed he was brought before Mr Poote, J.P., and remanded. He said nothing in answer to the usual question put to him by the Magistrate, but it is understood that he has voluntarily told the police how the whole thing occurred. He says that he struck his wife on the head with a flat iron while she was in the dining room, and then carried her in an unconscious state into the washhouse, and there cut her throat. He does not remember what he did with the razor, further than he threw it away in the fields. Later news states that Plaisted is still in a very weak condition. The unfortunate man speaks at times freely about the incidents of the tragedy. He says that his wife was not immediately stunned by his blows, and that on ceasing to resist she exclaimed, "Iforgive you." At the inquest, which was held in the house where the murder was committed, a verdict of " Wilfu' murder " was returned, and the case will go direct to the Supreme Court. Plaisted has been in the lunatic asylum time after time, and had on this last occasion only been out for a £jw months.