TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10699, 21 August 1912, Page 5

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

CABLE NEWS

(United Frea Atiociafion — Bg EUetrie Telegraph — &&pyrigM.)

\m\ KILLS FIVE PERSONS

WOUNDS HIS WIFE

(Received August 20, 10.5 a.m.)

LONDON, August 19

Captain Hicks Murray, kite of the Gordon Highlanders, after wounding his wife, but not fatally, killing two of bis children and a woman who was in the house .and her child, fired the house, situated at Eastbourne, and then committed suicide.

The five corpses were badly charred. The widow was rescued.

(Received August 20, 11 a.m.) LONDON, August 19

Murray, who was formerly in the Scots Greys, suffered from sunstroke in India. Latterly he was with the Territorials at Eastbourne. He suffered from insomnia, and was sometimes violent to his wife. The latter states that she and her children arrived at- their home on Sunday night, and that she was unaware that anybody but her husband and themselves were in the house. She is unable to account for the presence of the dead woman and the third child.

1 Murray left a note stating that lie was ruined, and adding that ho had killed his dependents, and desired all to he buried in one grave.

It appears the bodies were placed i" a line, and the room saturated with oil.

LATEST DETAILS

(Received Last Night, '11.35 o'clock.)

LONDON, August The dead wom.au was Murray's wife, and a sister of the wounded woman.

Murray was a non-commissioned ficer. He had families to both women, and maintained two establishments.