TRAGEDY AT DUNEDIN.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 813, 16 May 1871, Page 2

TRAGEDY AT DUNEDIN.

Our telegrams recently announced the occurrence of a fearful tragedy at Caversham, Dunedin, Mrs M'Phee haying cut the throat of one of her children, and afterwards taken her own life. We take the following details from the " Otago Daily Times": — A murder, followed by an attempt at self-destruction was committed at Caversham yesterday. The circumstances of the case are very painful. Mrs Agatha M'Phee (the wife of Mr Donald M'Phee, the licensee of the All Nations Hotel, and who is also a contractor), a woman thirty-seven years of age, is the mother of four children, the oldest aged nine years and the youngest four. About halfpast seven o'clock in the morning, the oldest child, hearing a noise iu the bedroom, opened the door, and saw the mother cutting the throat of the youngest. She at once told her father, who was outside, filling the horse trough. He rushed in, and found the youngest dead, her head nearly severed from her body, and the mother with her own throat badly cut. The instrument with which she had nearly hacked off her child's head, and attempted to take her own life, was a butcher's knife, about eighteen inches in length. As soon as the occurrence was known, no time was lost in sending for skilled assistance. Dr. Hammond, on arrival, sewed up Mrs M'Phee'B wound, but her recovery is doubtful. Mr J. T. Thomson, J.P., was sent for. She stated to him that on Wednesday morning last, Peter Kane, contractor; and a partner of her husband, slept in the house that night, and, her husband being away, entered her room, and attempted to take

liberties with her. She aftewarda complained to her husband, who threatened to prosecute Kane, upon which Kane made statements damag. iug to Mrs M'Phee's moral character and which she repelled as false. Tesi terday morning, previous to the occur* rence, the husband told her that he was going that morning to take proeeedinga in the matter, so as to bring it before the Court, and that she would have to appear to give evidence. She said she could not, as her nerves would not allow her. In the afternoon Mr Strode, R.M., went out and took her deposition, which was to the effect that Peter Kane had committed an assault with intent upon her. Kane and her husband, we are informed, worked together at the Peninsula! On Tuesday, Kane came to town to draw their cheque, a part of which he had to pay Mrs M'Phee, and slept at the house. She was very fond of the child she killed. It was rather help, less through paralysis in the side. The neighbours speak well of the family as quiet, steady people. Kane was arrested yesterday on a charge of assault with intent.

The woman subsequently died from the effects of her self-inflicted wounds. At the inquest the following evideme was taken: , Donald M'Phee said: lam a publi. can and had a contract with a man named Kane. I live at Caversham. The deceased persons were mv wife and daughter. My wife whs about 30 years of age, and my daughter's age was four years. It is nearly 12 years \ since I have been married. When I came home on Saturday night my wife told me she had been abused by Peter! Kane. I burst out crying when she told me the circumstances. She said, "Do you think I am guilty?" I said, " No.", She said she was awaked up at once, and found that the lamp she kept in the room had been put out, and somebody taking hold of her. Though she resisted, he accomplished what he wanted. When she had an opportunity she got a steel and threatened to kill him unless he cleared out. In the ! morning he came back and called her a prostitute, and all the names that he could think of. He threatened that if she took the charge into Court, he was better in Court then she was, and made remarks about the slur other people would cast upon her. He came back again and wanted to make it i "all right" and not to tell me. He gave her £6, but that was my share of the contract money which he should have given her. On Saturday night and Sunday I conversed with my wife about taking the case into Court. She did not altogether object, but was very averse on grounds of delicacy and nervousness. I had no occasion to suspect her honour at all. However, she finally consented to come to Court. We went to bed about eleven o'clock on Sunday night. She then seemed quite rational, but much distressed about her character. On Monday morning we both got up at the same time—about half-past six o'clock. I made a fire, and went out to fill the trough, leaving her putting the kettle down. She was quite rational, and asked me, among other things, when I was going to town. In three or four minutes after going out, my daughter Mary Ann came running out, and cried " Da, mother's killed herself and Nelly.', I ran in at once, and saw both of them lying on the floor in a pool of blcod. I did not see the wound, but judged her throat was cut. I saw my wife was not dead, but could not judge whether my daughter was alive or not. We said nothing to each other. I just cast my eye on her, and ran out to the neighbours for assistance. Before she died she ackow- B ledged to me that I had been a kind fl husband to her. During the time Ifl have been married to her, I have 9 never noticed anything wrong withfl her mind. She was sensitive, but sen-1 sible and intelligent. I never had an fl angry word with her. B Alex. Eraser, contractor, said : I livofl nearly opposite to the house of the de. fl ceased. Yesterday morning, at about fl half-past seven o'clock, I was at the end fl of my house, and saw Mr M'Phee and 9 his oldest daughter running f rom a neigt"M hour's towards his own dwelling. I also fl saw Mr Thomas Lang running towardsfl it. Concluding there was sometbingfl wrong, I ran over and followed theui.9 immediately behind them, through house to the back part, where I saw Mrcfl M'Phee with her throat cut lying on thefl floor in a pool of blood. She was re-fl dining towards the dressing table, hutß was not leaning against it. I could scsfl the head of the little girl from under b«B mother. I think she was dead at tließ time. I asked M'Phee if he knew wbersfl their infant was. He said " No." Shß looked towards me, and 1 said, " Jlrifl M'Phee, where is the baby?" Shsß pointed upstairs. I ran up and foundß the infant all right in bed. I then nnfl down stairs and went for the constablß at the police station. She was <l"''B sensible to the last. About 11 o'clocß yesterday she asked me " When is tbnfl man going to come ?" I said, " man 1" She replied, " Peter Kano.9 She did not seem to have a dread >fl seeing him. She seemed wishful tfrfl he should be brought to her. She triefl to tear open the wound. I have kncsß her during the past three years, durinfl which time she has been a sober anfl sensible woman. I have never knowfl her threaten to commit suicide. M?ry M'Nair, who, on being B dressed by the Coroner as "3B M'Nair," said she was a single wohm*"B deposed : —On being told of what b4J occurred, and being asked to the I went and saw Mrs M'Phee. SB

raved her h-uid to come in, but did not meak. She was lying with h- * head jmm the little girl, I saw the carving jnife and steel, nuw produced, lying •lose by her hind. Two other women ere binding "up her thront, and I asnsted them. I remained in the house he whole of the day, with the exception of being absent a few minutes for sfresbment. It was about half-past 10 o'clock before she said anything. She then asked the time, and it was told her. jjhe asked me if she thought she could jive till "that mau" came. I asked, »What man." She replied, " Petei Kaue." I' l answer to me, she said she had nothing to say to him, only she was ■anxious to satisfy Mr M'Phee that she Las an innocent woman. She then askt d ijj r M'Phee to come into the room, and iwhen he did so, she asked him to forgive her, by which I understood forgiveness for destroying herself and her child; and she hoped the Lord would forgive her. I think she said something to him about Peter Kane. She asked a lady to kneel down and pray; and asked if we thought the Lord had forgiven her, because she had no bad ja her heart. In the evening when no one but ourselves was present, she asked me if I had laid Nelly out. I laid " Yes." 3he said where have you laid her out ? I told her I had laid her out in the room where it was clone. I told her I had gone to Air Lucas's opposite, and got a little nightgown for the child. I asked..if; I had done right, and she replied ** Oh, yes." I said to her, " You have a good mind of what you done this morning?" She replied, "Of course, I have." I asked her, " Did you intend to do this when I saw you last night ?" She answered, saying " I have been thinking of doing it since Wednesday last." I asked her why she had thought of it from Wednesday ? She said she was obliged to tell M'Phee, and that if M'Phee was much annoyed she would have to do it, and take the two youngest children with her, saying, "If he cannot take it well, I can never look him in the face again." She told me that. she had told him on Saturday night, and that seeing him crying, and so much put about, she had made up her mind on Sunday to do it. I asked her where Nelly was when she took her in whether, she followed her into the bedroom or took her in. She said she took her in in her arms. Little Nelly, she said, asked her, " Where are you going to take me to, ma?" and that she replied, "I am going to send you to heaven." I asked her how she did it. She said, " I laid her across the bed; she cried a little, but it was soon over." I asked her why she pitched upon Nelly first. She said " Ever since Wednesday Nelly always asked to go along with me, I thought I would take her | first and the baby next." I said "M'Phee, do you mean to you were in proper your senses when you did this." She answered "Yes, of course I was."l asked whether she was not sorry for what she had done. She only said" Nelly is in heaven; she's all right." I think she said once during the day that she was sorry for what she had done ; but it was no use to be sorry then -it was too late. During the lime I have known her, she had not shown the least 'tendency to insanity or to low spiritedness. She was also a temperate, sober woman. She said during the day that she hoped nobody would look down on her husband for what she had done, as he had had no hand in it. A verdict of temporary insanity was returned.