FAMILY TRAGEDY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1939, Page 7

FAMILY TRAGEDY

YOUNG MAORI & WIFE FOUND DEAD BOTH WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS. SEQUEL TO SEPARATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 7. Domestic differences had a tragic sequel today, when the bodies of a young Maori couple were found lying across each other, with ghastly gunshot wounds in the chests, in the kitchen of a small house at Tangowahine, about 10 miles from Dargaville. Both bodies, which were fully clothed, were lying on the bare floor, which was spattered with blood. A singlebarrel shotgun was found underneath the couple. . The victims were Lucy Piri, aged 20.

and TonrPiri, aged 28. Relationships between the two had been strained for a long time, it is stated. For the past week they had been living apart, Lucy Piri living with her parents, Mr and Mrs Wairoa Piri, during that period. On Tuesday week Tqm Piri called at the home of the parents, with a view to persuading his wife to leave and return with him. but she refused. He left, and nothing more was seen of him till today when he called at the house to see her again. ' Mr and Mrs Piri, Senr, were in the i house when he called, and, he did not show any outward signs of distress at the time. They left the young couple alone, when they went to Tangowahine school to carry out their usual cleaning work. That anything untoward had occurred was not known till Mick Piri, aged 11. .son of Mr and Mrs Piri. Senr, arrived home from school to find the two bodies huddled together ip a pool of blood in the kitchen and the gun lying near by. One spent cartridge was found on the floor and another in the gun. , Lucy Piri had gaping wounds above the left breast and Tom Piri a similar wound on the right side of the breast. A touching scene was that of the dead couple’s baby, aged one year, who was sitting on his dead mother’s body when the discovery was made. The lad. Tom Piri, at first thought the couple were arguing, but soon discovered that a tragedy had occurred. He notified a neighbour, who informed the police at Dargaville. .The house in which the tragedy occurred is adjacent to the Tangowahine school, only a short distance from the main road, but it is understood that none of the residents heard any shot fired.