A PITIFUL TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2276, 5 November 1891, Page 4

A PITIFUL TRAGEDY.

Surely no more pitiful case of killing has been recorded than that of Mrs Nellie Scarebrook, of South Richmond. Her husband is, by all accounts, a thoroughly good fellow, and is foreman of., engine-makers at the Otis Elevator Co.’s foundry. Mrs Scarebrook’s father hid often stayed at the house of his son-in-law, who almost entirely supported him. Soriie little time back he left the house, and on Thursday he wrote her a latter containing an accusation, or rather a icusations, .by which she was accused o having “ degraded and demoralised” (so ran the letter) her brother, who was said to have been found with her in a compromising situation. These accusations, of such a horrible nature, were awful in their effect, considering the impression it made on the mind of his highly strung and supersensitive daughter. She wrote an open letter, addressed to no one in particular, hysterically denying the truth of her fathor’s statements, ana then administered strychine to each of her three children, a girl aged four, a boy of three, and an infant in arms. The girl spat out most of the poison and ran away. Her mother did not attempt to administer, a second dose. She swallowed a dose of prussic acid and then lay dowi. to die. But by fortunate chance she had swallowed a i ove da-e, and about a qu .rter of an hour later she awoke from her stupor ; the sight of the little boy on the floor in convuls ; ons upset her desire for death, and, screaming, she sought the assistance of a neighbour. When the two women returned, the hoy was frothing at the mouth, and though medical aid was called, he expired a few minutes latter. The mother, the eldest girl, and >the baby were pulled through without much trouble, and are now almost recovered.

A pitiful scence occured when the inquest was opened on Saturday. The father only blamed the writer of the letfer which had driven her momentarily insane, and when the present state of her mind was questonedhe cried apologetically «She is quite sanebut that old villain wrote the letter, and the poor girl is so sensitive.” The “ old villain” would only be receiving justice by all accounts if he were prosecuted for the murder of his grandchild.

Mr Reeder: ‘what makes the landlady so gruff with you? Aren’t you paid up to date ?’ Mr.de Ruyters : ‘ Why,|yes, but a fellow who came to lodge here last Saturday has spoiled ) her by paying her a month in 1