THE TOPHOUSE TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4845, 8 October 1894, Page 2

THE TOPHOUSE TRAGEDY.

The Inquest ■ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

Nelson, Sunday.

The jury returned the following verdict: "After homing tLe evidence given, we find that the two deceased —William Henry Wallis and J. S. Lane-came by their death by gunshot wounds inflicted by one Win. Batemau." They added, "We also think that had Miss Wylie and Mrs Wallis been present wo should have had fuller particulars, hut we do not think that anything further could have altered the verdict."-

Aii inquest was thenheldon Monism before the same jury, and they . returned the following verdict : " We arc of opinion that deceased came by his death by a gunshot wound inflicted by himself whilst in an unsound state of mind." There seems little doubt that Batcman was jealous of Lane. He was in town on'f hursday, professedly to see about a dog to enable him to go mustering at Birch Hill, but it is thought bis real object was to get some caps, The renson for his killing the telegraphist is difficult to conceive, but the suggestion is that he sought to prevent the news of the other murder being sent away. During Thursday night he was threatening Miss Wylie, and sharpened a'knife in her room, but one of the children, of whom be was fond, clung to the girl. She witli the children escaped to the telegraph office in the morning, and one of the little boys in going there found the body of MrWallis covered over. The two women were in dread of death, and Mrs Wallis had hidden a paper on which she had written:" If Miss Wylie and I are fonud dead, Bateman has killed us." The funerals of Wallis and Lane proceeded together to the cemetery, the two men boing buried in the sumo plot of ground, side by side. The funerals wcro witnessed by a great number of spectators.