THE WAITARA TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2376, 17 December 1908, Page 4

THE WAITARA TRAGEDY.

DEATH OF MRS. KLENNER.

HER DYING DEPOSITION,

[Press Association.]

NEW PLYMOUTH Dec. 16,

Mrs. Klenner came from Sydney about twelve years ago to marry Mr. Klenner in Wellington, and they have since resided in Waitara, where Mrs. Klenner is well liked. She has five children. Mrs. Klenner is still in a very bad condition. She has rallied a little from the shock, but the outlook is decidedly unfavorable. The bullets have probably lodged near the spinal vertebrae, affecting the spinal nerves. The left arm is paralysed. The brain, however, is uninjured, and her mental condition is so far unimpaired. The chief dangers come from inflammation and interference with respiration, on account of the windpipe being pierced, and there is also great trouble in feeding the patient, owing to injury to the gullet. Mrs. Klenner's depositions, taken at the hospital, were as follows: “I am the wife of Alois Klenner, butcher, of Waitara, and live next door to Dr. Goode who is accused of attempting to murder me. That is he standing there. Accused came to my house, I think, about half-past 3 yesterday (Monday) afternoon. I thought I heard a noise on the doorstep. I opened the door and found it was Dr. Goode. He walked into the sitting-room, and said, I want to speak to you. He was the worse of liquor. He said bad things about me. He said that I was bad with other men, which is untrue, as I was always faithful to my husband. He wanted me to sit on his knee, and said, ‘You be mine or I'll shoot you. I refused, and he fired two shots at me at short range, and I fell over. He tried to fire a third shot, but the revolver would not go off. I heard him say, ‘Are you dead?' I never answered, as I was afraid. I heard him say, ‘I am going away to get more whisky and finish myself.’ He then slammed the door, and went away. I did not see him since till now."

Cross-examined by Mr. Wilkes, she said: “'Accused was drunk. I could not say how long he was in the room. He was very excited. His language was very unusual. He was very angry before I refused his request. He had been drinking for days. I could not say if he could walk straight. He tried to shoot himself, but the revolver would not go off. He was always my medical adviser since he had been in Waitara. I am quite friendly with him. I think he must have been out of his mind, or he would not have done what he did. Accused was mad with whisky, I judged from his appearance.” Later. The condition of Mrs. Klenner this evening is about the same with little hope of recovery. The doctors experience difficulty in supplying nourishment owing to the injury to the throat. Both bullets still remain embedded in the back of the neck, presumably pressing on the vertebrae. One bullet fractured the jaw, burying itself in the neck. The other entered the neck, severing the windpipe. DEATH OF MRS. KLENNER. CONSCIOUS TO THE LAST. Latest. Mrs. Klenner died this evening shortly before 7 o’clock. She was conscious till within a few minutes of her death.