THE INVERELL TRAGEDY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2705, 8 January 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE INVERELL TRAGEDY.

Further particulars are brought- bv the mail of the terrible shooting affray which occurred at Bensliawe. some distance from Invorell. A settler named Edward Donaldson, father of a young man who recently figured in several boxing contests, lived there. Considerable sums of money were wagered on these fights. On the last the father lost a lot of money. This loss, it seems, preyed on the old man’s mind, with the result that, it is alleged, he attempted to shoot the whole family and was Himself killed*.

Tlie place at ■which the tragedy tccvtrred was a selection belonging to his son Augustus. Donaldson had been living apart from the family for some months, and ever since he sold his farm on Ashford Road, near Bukkalla, he had been threatening to do for the family, and they had been expecting trouble. Since the selling of the farm he had been engaged hawking, while the wife and family had been residing with the eldest son on the latter’s selection, the scene of the tragedy. After selling the farm he allowed his son to take the stock to his place, but after the latter’s defeat in tlie boxing ring the father had sold the sheep and cattle at ridiculously low prices, and demanded £IOO, which he said he had provided to finance the boxing match. The sons offered to pay £SO, but this Donaldson refused, threatening violence unless they paid the full amount. With the proceeds of the farm he made a trip to Sydney, and laid in a stock oF jewellery, principally “brummagem," which he found hard to sell. This, with losses met with when the son Gus was defeated in the boxing ring by Sam Billen, appears to have affected his mind. He was at Inverell last week settling some accounts, and informed several people that he was going home to settle scores with the family, and to do away with himself. These were regarded as empty threats, as he /Was thought to bo of a peaceful disposition. His threats to shoot the family were no idle ones, as he arrived at the son’s house about 4 o’clock on Friday afternoon, armed with a Winchester magazine. A Mrs. O’Reilly, a neighbor, who was there on a visit, was the first to be encountered by him, and thinking it was his wife he raised the rifle ami aimed at her. Mrs. O'Reilly screamed out, “Don’t shoot me,” and Donaldson lowered the weapon. His daughter coming on the scene was immediately fired at, the bullet entering one of her legs below the knee, coming out above the joint, fortunately without striking the bone. The girl fell to the ground. Mrs. Donaldson, who was out at the back, hearing the shot and screams, ran to see what was the matter, when Donaldson fired two shots at her in quick succession, neither of which, however, took effect. His son, Thomas, was lying down in one- of the back rooms, and hearing shots, divined the cause. He snatched up liis Winchester rifle, rushed out, only to be greeted with a shot from Ids' father’s rifle, which also missed the mark. He at once returned the fire, evidently without effect, for the old man then turned and ran away towards tlie creek, which runs a short distance from the house. Before ho reached it his son fired two more shots at him, but the father kept on, and finally disappeared into the creek bed. Not daring to follow, the son waited till two other brothers came home in tlie evening, when they proceeded to search for their father, with the intention of disarming him, They came on the dead body lying on the slope of the bank. The head was downwards and the rifle was still grasped firmly in both hands, with the fingers on the trigger. Just after the old man disappeared down the slope two shots were heard from the direction which he took. This evidently gave rise to the rumor that he shot himself. An examination of the body proved that this was not the case. There wore two bullet wounds both of which entered from behind. It is likely that Donaldson in his death agonies fired these shots from the magazine. This ivas found to be empty. [At the inquest held subsequently, the sou was committed for manslaughter.]