A MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2279, 12 November 1891, Page 3

A MELBOURNE TRAGEDY.

Melbourne, Nov. 4. A strange tragedy has occurred at South Melbourne, which affords another illustration of the dangers attendant on a careless use of firearms. The victim was Mrs Best, wife of a traveller named Geo. E. Best. They were a young couple, twenty-six or twenty-seven years of age. The occurrence was first made known by the husband rushing excitedly to the residence of Dr Johnston, who lives within a short distance, and telling him he had accidentally shot his wife. When Dr. Johnston got there the deceased lay on the bed with the bodice of her dress cut open displaying a terrible wound, which a glance was sufficient to show would cause death. The police were sent for and the woman taken to the Melbourne Hospital, where she died without being able to make any statement, except that she told the doctor the shooting was accidental. The police arrested the husband, who has been remanded, Dr. Johnston having told the police that there had been a quarrel between the couple. Best's statement, however, is that the affair was an accident. He said that he was a traveller, and he had originally come with hia wife from Tasmania some four years ago, and they had lived in Albert road for about three weeks. On his business journeys he always took with him a revolver, and his wife kept another in the house for the purpose of protecting herself against burglars or other intruders. _ After luncheon on Monday he lay on his bed, and his wife brought her revolver, a sixchambered Webley, which was loaded in in every chamber, and asked him to examine it, as the trigger was difficult to pull. His wife rested on the back of the bed, and 'while he was overlooking the firearm it exploded and the bullet lodged in the abodmen of his wife. He placed her on the bed, cut her dress away, and then ran for the' doctor.