Murderous attack upon a Wife.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3752, 12 March 1891, Page 2

Murderous attack upon a Wife.

Sydney, March 4. A Blocking tragedy, and one possessing several remarkable features, came under the notice of the polioe authorities at Newtown early on Saturday morning. It appears that an old man named Joseph Colley, 86 years of age, residing with his wifti Lucy Colley, ia Simmons street!; Newtown, made a murderous attack upon the latter with a tomahawk, and subsequently attempted to commit suicide, The wife is about 60 years oldj and the aged couple retired to bed at the usual hour on Friday night. After being in bed some time Colley rose and began behaving in.a very eccentric manner, but hiß wife. 1 who was not altogether unaccustomed to such vagaries on his part, exhibited no alarm, and composed berßelf to sleep. Shortly after 2 a.m. Bhe was awakened from her slumbers by a blow on the head, and simultaneously saw her husband standing at the bedside, with ia which was grasped a toiaAgpk, and about to strike a second fruie. She rose in the bed, and tried to evade iho deadly weapon by closing with her assailant, but before she could do so she was struck a second blow on the head. Though much dazed Mrs Colley succeeded in rising and wrestling the tomahawk from her husband. She then fled to a neighbour's house. Colley then secured an old rusty razor And at> tempted to destroy himself by cutting his throat, but Che police arrived er«4H he had affected his purpose. Both; Colley and his wife were placed in a cab and conveyed to Prince Alfred Hospital, where, after the wounds of the latter were dressed, she was *llowed to go home, bat the former it was deemed advisablo to detain in the institution. No reason can bo assigned for the committal of the terrible deed; but it is pretty generally known that Colley was of rather an erratic temperament.