TRIPLE MURDER.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 143, 27 June 1901, Page 2

TRIPLE MURDER.

TWO WOMEN AND A CHILD SACRIFICED. (By Telegraph -Press Association.) Christchurch, last'night. A brutal trder of two women and a boy was co iiiiitted between Friday and Monday r.l East Eyreton. It was reported during tho night, and the polico are out inquiring. The victims are Mrs Henry Martin, widow, aged 70; - Miss Ellen Martin, her daughter, aged 10; and a grandson, Lormer Martin, aged four. In one room the grandmother and the child wore found with their heads smashed in, and in another the daughter was similarly treated. All were dead. Tho house is three hundred yards from the road.

Later particulars show that the neighbors became alarmed at not seeing anything of the Martin family, and informed a son-in-law of Mrs Martin, who, on going to the house, got no answer, and entered focibly. Ho then saw the doad' body of Mrs Martin, with her head terribly cut about. He at once gave information to the polico, and Inspector Ellison went out at midnight and found Mrs Martin’s body close to the bed in her night-clothes, with several deep wounds on the head. Tho little boy’s head was also terribly crushed. Ho had evidently been killed in his sloop. In the kitchen was another ghastly sight —the body of Miss Martin, covered with blood-stained sheets, being found. She was partly dressed, and had six gaping wounds on the head. The forefingers of her right hand had also boon cut through. She had apparently put her hand to hothead to ward off tho blow. Tho woapon supposed to hnvo been used is a bloodstained tomahawk, which tho police found on the floor. Tho porpetrator of the dreadful crime appears to hnvo gono coolly and deliberato'y to work, and to have been in no hurry to leave tho premises until he had ca -ried out his intention of robbing tho establishment of money and valuables. The house was ransacked from ond to end. Drawers were turned out, articles broken, thrown about, and heaped up in all directions. Exactly what the murderer carried away is not known. So far no arrest has been mado, though suspicions point in a certain direction. Tho Martins were a family well known and highly respected in tho district. Tho occupants of tho house were Mrs Martin, widow of the late Mr Henry Martin, farmer, an unmarried daughter, Ellen Martin, Lorimer Martin, son of Mr G. S. Martin, who lives in the district, and a man servant named Alexander McLean. McLean had been in the employment of Mrs Martin for somo two months, and slept in one of the upper-floor rooms. He was tho only other occupant of the house. So far his whereabouts are unknown.

LATER INFORMATION. SITUATION OF THE HOUSE. INQUEST ADJOURNED. [By Telegraph—Press Association.] Christchurch, last night. Very few additional particulars have been gathered with regard to tho Eyreton tragedy. The house stands some distance back from the road, and is surrounded by trees. There are no neighbors near enough to hear any outcry by the victims. The inquest was opened to-day, but after formal evidence of identification of the bodies had been taken, the inquest was adjourned for a week. So far, the man McLean has not been found, but a man answering to his description, and driving a horse and trap, has been seen at Oxford, Wadclington,and other places in the district within the last day or two. SUSPECTED MAN. [Special to Times.] Dunedin, last night. Tho man suspected of being the perpetrator of the triple murder is a young fellow with a bad record, and should soon bo captured.