A PALMERSTON SENSATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8101, 22 March 1906, Page 5

A PALMERSTON SENSATION.

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. A WELL-KNOWN TRAINER SHOT. PALMERSTON N., March 21. A sensational murder and suicide ooourred hero, this afternoon. The police shortly before six o'olook received word that a well-known horse-trainer, Fred. Murfitt, and his wife, were lying on the floor of the dining-room of their house, in Pitzherbert Street, dead. The intelligence was brought by a young man, named Crottie, who ia employed as a rider for Murfitt. and who, ou riding round to the backyard of thp house, had caught a glimpse of the bodies through the * window. The police, on entering the house, found that Murfitt was dead, with a bullet wound in the back of his head, and the woman, who was lying beside him, was alivo, though unconscious. Investigation showed that the latter was shot through the left breast. The revolver was lying near by. Medical aid was called, and the woman partially regained consciousness, and was sent to the Hospital. It is expected that she will live. The surmise is that Murfitt was shot by t h e woman in a fit of jealousy, and that the latter then shot herself. Murfitt was about 39 years of age. He had several horses in training at Hokowbitu, and he rode three winners at the last Wellington trotting meeting. LATER PARTICULARS. THE WOMAN'S DYING DEPOSITIONS. CONFESSES TO SHOOTING MURFITT. OVERCOME BY AN IRRESISTHJLE PASSIONATE IMPULSE. The woman, in her dying depositions, at the Hospital, said she shot Murfitt while he was leaning under the bed to pull a box out. She did not intend to kill him, having bought the revolver to shoot herself, bnfc was overoome by an irresistible passionate impulse. She was not Murfltt's wife, but had lived with him on and off for some years, and was very muoh disturbed at the rumour that he was going to marry a niece at whose house Murfitt was in the habit of having hi* meals. The woman's case is serious. She is, also, suffering from an incurable disease. After shooting Murfitt the woman procured a pillow for his head, and then lay down beside him and putting the weapon to her left side fired with the intention, apparently, of striking the heart. The bullet broke a rib and deflected. The woman was unconscious when discovered. On reviving, she exclaimed: "Oh Fred, I didn't mean to, but you made me do it." The incident created a great sensation, the deoeased man being widely known. (Murfitt was well-known in Masterton, and has ridden at the Masterton Trotting Club's meetings).