MURDER AND SUICIDE AT. NELSON [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1727, 31 July 1883, Page 2

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT. NELSON [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

nelson, Saturday, Between six and half-past six this morn ing a most dreadful tragedy was enacted at Nelson Gaol. It appears that the only warder in charge, John Adams, must have allowed John Davidson, a prisoner serving a life sentence for the man•laughter of Denis Quinlan, at Lyell, to leave his cell, probably to enable him to go to work in the kitchen. Davidson appeared to huve been looked on as a very quiet man, for though special precautions were taken with him after he was sentenced, he seemed to have been so docile as to have averted any apprehension of his becoming" violent. Adams, after liberating the prisoner, went into the yard, and then came the dreadful deed. Prisoner was left without control, and probably, seized with a desire to escape, he seems to have taken a tomahawk, and smashed iv the guard-room door. That done, he seized a couple of loaded revolvers, and hastened to the yard where poor Adams was, and appears to have stabbed him to death with a large knife, which he also had obtained possession of. Of course, the deed was unwitnessed; but, from the surrounding circumstances, the above would appear to have been the course pursued. The noise of a revolver awakened Mr Shallcross, the Gaoler, and Mrs Shallcross, and both having but an indistinct idea that there was something wrong, hastened into the gaol. In the corridor they were met by Davidson with two loaded rerolvers, which he was presenting. The Gaoler spoke to the man firmly but kindly to iuduce him to retire. Mrs Shallcrosa asked him where Adams was. To this prisoner said, " Oh, yes l, he's in the yard all right." Mrs Shallcross then entreated him to lay aside the weapons, and he parleyed for a considerable time, and appeared to be somewhat pacified. He thtm demanded of Mr Shallcross that he should let him pass and escape from the gaol, and though unarmed, the Gaoler opposed him. Davidson then spoke of the Lyell murder, making a charge against the woman concerned therein, and asserting his own innocence. While he was doing this, Mr and Mrs Shallcross were doing all they could to pacify him, the man suddenly put one of the revolvers in his mouth, fired, and in an instant was dead. Adam» came here from Wellington recently, and had a wife and four children, the youngest of whom is two months o'd. The event lias caused a great sensation here, and the authorities aye greatly blamed.