DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2598, 4 September 1909, Page 6

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY.

SYDNEY MAN SHOOTS HIS WIFE THEN OUTS HIS THROAT. A shocking sight* was witnessed in Gookl-street, Sydney, shortly after 4 o’clock on the afternoon of August 21, says the “Sydney Morning Herald.” The street is a narrow thoroughfare running off Re-gent-street, near the Central) Railway Station, and a crowd 1 of men.and women and little children saw a middleaged man run from a house into the street, with his throat cut from one oar to the other,' and blood streaming down his clothes. In his hand was a steel bread-saw, fronl the serrated edges of which blood was dripping. Then the people saw two policemen hurrying into the street from the direction of No. 2 police station*. As the police advanced the inani caught sight of them. He turned and ran into the house f r om which he had issued. The police followed, and the street scene closed. A quarrel had occurred between Alfred George Selby and his wife, Elizabeth Selby. The husband had teen away for a fortnight, and what the trouble was about the other occupants of the house did not know, hut one of the'girls, who was outside, beard her mother scream and call for help. At the same time four revolver shots iang out. The girl ran in, and there on the floor in the kitchen her mother was lying in a patclv of blood. Her father ran past the girl , into the street. As he ran she saw that he had cut his threat, and that with every step blood gushed' from the wound. The girl first turned her ntfcjrPnn to her mother, hut it was apparent that she was beyond all aid. In the hfad were two bullet wounds, and two small holes, one in the front aid the vihtr in the back of her blouse, indicated the track of two more bullets. Afterwards it was found that Mrs Selby ha 3 been shot through the left side of the chest and through the back. The scream which first attracted attention was thought to be nothing more than a sign that a quarrel was. in progress—an occurrence, it is said, which was unfortunately, too frequent between the man and his wife. As soon as the significance of the discoTery was realised the others in the hoiise and neighborhood were informed. The news spread as only such news will, and in a few minutes a crowd was round .the house. A girl ran to Re-gent-street Polihe Station —not more than 100 yards away—ahd she had hardly delivered her message to Sergeant Lobban when a young man and a young woman ran in on the same errand. Senior-constable Young and Constable Phillips immediately left the station, and their appearance in Gooldstreet, while Selby was being gazed on by. the crowd, quickened the fascinated interest of the spectators to intense excitement. , , . . When the wounded man rushed into his house pursued by the police he stiff retained the bread-saw, but when he was seized Selby made no attempt to use it again. He struggled a httle, but his strength was failing, for the saw had severed the right external jugular vein, and had narrowly missed the left. He had lost a great deal of blood, and there was no difficulty ill effecting his arrest. He wa9 half lead, half carried to the station, and a dark stain on the road marked the track or the melancholy procession. In the meantime the Civil Ambulance. had been called, and a few minutes later the brigade was administering first aid to Selby. He and his victim were then taken to Sydney Hospital. Dr Barron attended the wounded man, and pronounced life to he extinct in the case of the woman. Selby s windpipe was not severed, and though his condition is serious, he is expected to live. Dr Barron put 14 stitches m the wound, and Selby was then admitted for further treatment. Sergeant O’Dea was instructed to investigate the circumstances of the tragedy, and on searching the clothing ot Selby he found 40 revolver cartridges. The weapon itself was on the mantelpiece in the room where the body ot Mrs Selby was lying. In it were four empty shells. The fifth chamber had not been used, and was unloaded. There are eight children m the belby family—four boys and four girls. The youngest is a child of four. The, oldest is 27.