HARROWING DETAILS OF THE ORMONDVILLE MURDER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1608, 13 February 1884, Page 2

HARROWING DETAILS OF THE ORMONDVILLE MURDER.

Eroiu further particulars furnished by the Herald's Ormondvillc correspondent, it appears that the murder of the Edward's family was carried out in a most deliberate and determined manner. Edwards, although conscious, keeps a strict silence, but the appearance ot the room in whbh the bocließ lay tells the talc only too truly. Three of the four children weut to church on Sunday evening, the mother staying at home to nurse the baby. On their return they went to bed, and their mothor lay down dressed on the bed waiting for her husband. When he returned it would seem from a heap of chips in ono corner of the room, that he took a half charred log from the fire, and with his pocketknife coolly cut one end into the shape of a convenient handle. He must have then stunned his wife and children as they lay on the bed, the foreheads of nil being cut and bruised. The wife's I throat was then cut on the bed From the enormous quantity of blood in the middle of the floor, and also on the murderer's trousers and on the chair, it appear that he then lifted the children from the bed, and then taking them betwee i bis knees one by one cut their throats, i'ie must then have placed them again 0:1 the bed, their arms entwined about each other's necks. Probably he then cut his own throat, but mil deeply. The tragedy must have occurred before midnight, Early in the morning, and before daylight, lie went to the house o£ a neighboring settler named Plank, and asked for water. Plank says he had a presentment that all was not right, and he refused the water, and when Edwards went away Plank fol lowed him with a loaded gun, but soon lost sight of him in the darkness. Edwards next called at another neighbor's named Pike, and there obtained water, It being dark Pike saw no blood, but Edward's manner was, so strange that Pike became uneasy, and he went and aroused the local constable, The officer and Pike went to Edwards' house and there discovered the horrible truth. When daylight broke, Edwards was found on the trestles of a high bridge, from which ho was ulti-

inately secured with great difficulty.' He was taken to tho Waipukurau Hospital to have his wounds dressed, and he is not in danger.'' Edwards is a man of some education, and is a practical engiteer. For some years ho was chief engineer on one of tho coastal steamers, but was discharged for drunkenness, He received remittance from Home, his friends being well connected, and a short time since he received £IOOO, with which ho bought land at Orniondvillo,' He was given to drinking, and when, drunk was like' a madman:' Twice he has been charged with being a lunatic,' and was kept in confinement until the effects of his drinking bout pissed off. It has transpired that, when drunk, he has more than onco severely assaulted his wife, and a short time since ho placed a quantity of gunpowder under his wife's bed,' and exploded it, but fortunately, without any serious result.