SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10448, 13 October 1911, Page 5

SHOCKING TRAGEDY.

"IMAN CUTS HIS WIFE'S THROAT, " j AND THEN 7 SUICIDES. ] FORMER ■ RESIDENTS OF EKETA- .-•' HUiNA. By Telegraph — Press Association, GIbxJORiNE, Last Night. A shocking tragedy occurred at Tologa Bay (36 miies up the East Coast) this afternoon about half-past two o'clock. A young man. named 3 William Re id cut his wife's throat . iffitu a razor, and subsequently took i his own life by the same means. Reid, who is only about 28 years r ] of age, was employed as a stableman iat the Tologa Bay Hotel, and his i wife was' also employed in the hotel >a,i a laundress', i tfironi the details to hand so far it ; is-ascertained that Mr Elliott, licensee of the hotel, was working in the - yard about 2.30, and was' caEed by • his sister, uho had been attracted - by Mrs Reid coming down the stairs with a dreadful v.<.und in her ■ throat. ' ' , , . (..Elliott hurried 'inside.,' and fouiltl' Mrs Reid lying at the foot of iM' .stair j in a ..''pool cf ,blood,, and. she idied there in Elliott's presence. ' J The licensee went upstairs to- the servants' quarters in a wing of the building, where hie found the husband lying on the floor of the bedroom with a terrible gash across i the throat. A blood-stained razor was near by,. with which the deed had been committed. 'Elliott arrived in. the room just in time to see Reid expire. Dr Weeks was imftnediately inoned, and arrived within ten min--1 utes, but'pronounced, life to be extmct in both cases. The affair is quite inexplicable,' as, although the couple had had minor qiiaitrels, nothing of a. violent nature toad, so far as isi known, come between them. Both had the reputation of being good workers, and those who knew Reid best say he w'as a quiet, sober young Mlow, by no means a manJ likely to do murder.

I Mrs Reid's ftother and mother live I in Tologa Bay. The couple were married at Ekefcaluuia about three years ago, and have one child about two years old. About a fortnight ago Reid, .jvhile following his occupation, wrenched' his knee, and .since then has been i'.;™?r# good:'_' deo;} •'of Ms rying'ion his: bed :>■ This:accounts for lias.presence in the room at that time of the' Iday7 ' :.'•"....^.■t^.-vrr-'^-v-*^ sl^I An examination of the bodies showed.that Mrs Rend had a deep gash on one side of the throat only, while Reid., w»,o evidently stood in front of a mirror to take his own life, almost severed his head from his body. A great gloom lias been cast over the township as a result of the tragedy. An inquest will be helld to-mor-row.