THE LATE TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 321, 21 November 1879, Page 2

THE LATE TRAGEDY.

(From the N, Z. Times.) A terrible tragedy was enacted yesterday, between 11 and 12 o'clock, 011 Wellington Terrace. A young man named Clarence Miller, aged about 19 years, murdered his father and mother, unci then killed himself by cutting his throat. It appears that Clarence Miller went to Dr France's residence at 10.30 for some medicine for his father, who was ill in bed. On his return, after about half-an-hour's absence, the medicine was administered by the servant, Theresa Rooney, after which Mr Miller said he would have a sleep, and would not require her again for some hours. The girl then went into the kitchen, where she saw Clarence, and told him that his father was having a sleep and was not to he disturbed. The youth told her to go about her work, whereupon she went up to the lawn to get clothes to iron. She was only absent about a quarter of an hour, and on her return, she saw Clarence Miller standing at the door sawing away at his throat with a carving knife, the blood spurting out over his shirt. The girl at once ran across the street to Mrs Gavin's and gave the alarm, but it was not till the doctor arrived that she knew the parents of Clarence were dead. Dr Kesteven was the first to arrive followed almost immediately by Dr Mirbach, Drs Collins, Grace, and France were also in attendance shortly after. Upon the alarm being first given, those who visited the house found young Clarence lying at the back or scullery door, life being quite extinct, A smell of burning attracted them to the bedroom, and there Mr Miller was found lying in bed

with his throat cut, and his head very much knocked about. A broken gun was on the floor, and the bedclothes were smouldering as if from the discharge of the gun. In a passage leading to the kitchen, Mrs Miller was found quite dead her throat being also cut, A scuttle of coals was lying scattered near her, aa if she hud been carrying them when she was attacked.

The girl Theresa Rooney states that while away getting the clothes she did not hear any sound as of firing a gun, and as there are no gunshot wounds about Mr Miller's body, the presumption is that the gun only contained a blank charge. Young Miller must have discharged the gun at his father, then battered him about the head with the gun untill it was broken and finished by cutting his father's throat. He then appears to have attacked and killed his mother in the passage, finishing by taking his own life at the back door. He had been seen by the seruant to load the gun on the previous day, and in answer to hor inquiry he said lie was going shoot a cat. The girl did not notice anything strange in his manner when he spoke to her just before the fatal deed was committed.

The statement of Dr Mirbach was to the effect that ho had been called in at about noon, that 011 arriving at the house he found Mr Miller in bed injured as described above. The sheets were burnt as if a gun had been discharged close to it, and the stock of a gun was on the bed, the barrel being on the floor, broken across the centre, as if by inflicting a blow with it. There was blood and hair on the stock. The cut in Mr Miller's throat was on the right side, just under the ear, and was a deep one, penetrating to the vertabra. The body of Mrs Miller lay across the door leading from the hall to the kitchen, and that of young Clarence was at the back door. Mr Edward Miller was 52 yqars of age, and was employed in the Treasury, He was formerly manager of the Wellington branch of the Bank of New South Wales. His wife, Fanny, was CO years of age. They arrived in the colony with their family in December, 1853, in the ship Carnatic, landing at Otago. •■Mr•.Miller was, we believe, in partnership w:' Mr Wright, as a sheep farmer, some previous to his being appointed manage of the New South Wales branch Bank The perpetrator of the tragedy was a] prenticed to Mr E. W. Mills, but ha been at home for a few days in cons quence of having received some injur} l his thumb. The horrible deed is nat) ally enough attributed to insanity, and is known that a brother of Clarence M ler's committed suicide some months a« It is said that while in conversation wi a friend a few days ago Clarence, spea ing of his brother's death, said there w no one knew what would be the end of He was generally of a cheerful dispo tion, but he was occasionally liable to lus of frenzy. It is probable that the recent suicide on Lewisville Terrace may have so excited his brain as to lead him to the committal of this deed, A rumor to the effect that it was young Miller who attempted to hang himself 011 the reclaimed land 011 Tuesday night is, we believe, unfounded. Four sons of Mr Miller's are yet living, and of these one (Edward) is in Melbourne, another (Sydney) is in Lanceston, a third is in Zululand, while the fourth, the youngest, is in this city,