MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2510, 1 June 1893, Page 3

MURDER AND SUICIDE.

A shocking case of murder and suicide was brought to light at South Melbourne on Thurday last. Early in the afternoon a lad named Arthur Clark reported to the police that his mother, Margaret Clark, and a man named Jack Smith, were lying dead at his home in South Melbourne. An examination satisfied the police that the case was one of murder and suicide. Mrs Clark, aged 45, and who had married twice, lived apart from her husband. Her three sons, Smith, am} an elderly lady lived with her. She was on intimate terms with Smith, and retired with him the previous night as usual. Neither appeared at lunch, and as knocking at the door failed to obtain a responce, one of the sons made his way into the room, and found his mother lying dead in bed, and Smith lying on the floor with a revolver clutched in his hand. The bodies w- r.e quite cold, and both had bullet wounds in the head. Tlio revolver'was a fivechambered one, and was loaded in three chambers, the other two having been recently discharged. The crime must have been committed early fn the night, but no one |n the house heard any disturbance or noise. Very little is known of Smith beyond the fact that ho was an engineer, and a month ago arrived from. Broken H ill, where he had been employed for about a year. Prior to going to Broken Hill he lived with Mrs Clark, and on returning to Melbourne ho at once rejoined her. A box which belonged to Smith was searched by the police this morning, and a certificate of good conduct was found, showing that he was discharged from the armed constabulary of New Zealand in September 1882 after the expiration of his term of service. A cashbox was found containing papers which revealed a good deal of Mrs Olark’s past and recent history, and little doubt appears to be left that the motive for the crime was jealousy. Letters were found in the box with the words “ From your dear Frank,” and were dated from Kyneton at various times quite recently. They were couched in the most affectionate terms, and referred to the woman as “My dear old girl.” There wore also letters from others, indicating that Smith was not the only person who had crept into her affections.