HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 501, 17 October 1899, Page 2

HORRIBLE TRAGEDY.

FATHER SHOOTS TWO CHILDREN.

(by telegraph—press association). Wbblington, Sunday.

A carpenter named Arthur Wolff, residing at Petone, on Saturday night murdered his two children and afterwards attempted to commit suicide. Wolff was seen by a neighbour to enter his house with his children Hector and Linda aged five and three and a-half years respectively. This was soon a r ter six o'clock, nothing more was seen of them till Mrs Wolff returned home by the halt-past seven p.m. train. On entering the house she found the bodies of her two children and her husband on the floor in pools of blood. All were then alive, but the girl died in less than an hour. The father and boy were tak n to the Wellington Hospital. The boy died during the night. Both children were shot through the head, the father had a gash in bis throat and a wound on his temple. It is surmised that the man made the two little miles stand up along side of each other, while he fired from the bed, about, three or four feet away. Ho then fired four shots at himself, only one took effect and that grazed his temple. The man then got a razor and cut his throat. There are two theories as _to the motive. The man had been drinkiug lately and in addition wa3 in financial difficulties H e had had several drinksduring the afternoon One man who spoke to him as he was going home says he was sober, while a neighbour says he was stagggeriug when he went up the path. Wolff had lecently received an unfavourable answer to an application made to his friends at home for money. Elp is well spoken of in the township as being a good and kind husband and father. When he regained consciousness on Sunday morning he chatted freely. He said "he was allright when he did it and was all right now, bub he thought his wife would get on better without him and the children. Last Night. Wolff was charged at the court to-day with murder, aud was remanded to the 23rd. At the inquest a verdict of "Murder " was returned. Wolff is doing as well a 8 can be expected, His condition is not considered dangerous ; but it will be at least two or three weeks before he will be allowed to leave the hospital.