A TRAGIC SEQUEL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 2997, 21 September 1908, Page 5

A TRAGIC SEQUEL.

THE SEVENOAKS MURDER. SUICIDE OF MAJOR-GENERAL LUARD. LONDON, September 18. There has been a tragic sequel to the murder of Mrs Luard at Sevenoaks. This morning Major-General Luard was found dead on the railway line at West Farleigh. Major-General Luard, after spending the night at Burham Lourt, as the guest of Colonel Warde, M.P., threw himself under a train. He left letters declaring that he was unable longer to bear the awful accusation that he had killed his wife. Several newspapers hinted this suspicion, owing to absence of clues to the murderer of Mrs Luard. The General committed suicide early in the morning, before break fast-time.

DECEASED DRIVEN TO RASH ACT. SCANDALOUS REPORTS. "I CANNOT FACE MY SON." Received September 20, 4.20 p.m. LONDON, September 19. Major - General Luard was the recipient of many letters containing terrible insinuations. He wrote to Colonel Warde denouncing thi traducers in heartbroken terms. The late Luard's only surviving son will land at Southampton from South Africa to-day. The deceased complained bitterly of the scandalous nature of the questions addressed to him at the inquest. He received dozens of anonymous letters directly accusing him of the murder.' - His friends advised him to treat them with contempt, but his last letter stated that he was sick of the scandalous lying reports. "I cannot face my son,'' he wrote. "I have decided to end my life." He left several letters and telegrams to Colonel Warde, his housekeeper and others, indicating that he intended to commit suicide, and directing that his body should be removed tj Burham Court. The driver of the train on seeing the deceased jump in front of the ; tr?.in vainly tried to stop. Intense public sympathy is now evidenced for Major-General Luard.

Received September 21, 12.40 a.m. LONDON, September 20. Colonel Ward went to Southampton and broke the news to Captain Luard, who later attended the inquest on his father's body. A verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned by the jury.

The wife of Major-General Charles E. Luard, of Ightham Knojl, Sevenoaks, Kent, was recently murdered while on the balcony of a summerhouse situated in lonely woods attached to Frankfield, the residence* of Mr Horace Wilkinson, at Seal Chart, Sevenoaks. Mrs Luard was shot with a revolver and robbed of three rings, the fingers beiiig badly cut by the murderer. The murder occurred shortly after her husband had left her. They parted at a wicket gate leading to the woods, it being his intention to go to the golfhouse at Godden Green (about two and a half miles from Sevenoaks) to fetch some clubs, as they intended to spend soma days fro.n home. At tne inquest Major-General Luard gave a dramatic account of hi 3 finding of his wife's mutilated bodv, but he threw no fresh light" on the terrible tragedy that was enacted in the depths of the woods. Bloodhounds were used to track the murderer and twice they followed a course wjiir.h suggested that the unknown assassin escaped along the Tonbridge road. The case excited the greatest interest, but the police had to admit themselves baffled. Lately it was announced that they had abandoned the robbery theory as the motive' for the crime and were seeking for somt j personal enemy of Mrs Luard's Her husband al?o wrote to "The Times" demanding that the country should be rid of the hundreds of hungry halfstarved tramps who were ready to yield to any temptation to rob. Major-General Charles Edward Luard, F.R.G.S., was born in 1839, and married in 1875 the youngest daughter of Mr Thomas Hartley, of Gillfoot, Cumberland. He entered the army in 1856 and has had a distinguished career. He was Executive Officer in London during the Fenian raids of 1867-8; accompanied mission to the Sultan of Morocco in the latter year; devised scheme for re-arma-ment of Gibraltaz*, 1871; and served some years in Natal and Zululand. He was for lourteen years County Chairman of Kent, Magistrate and member of Grand Jury.