A Tragedy in a Lunatic Asylum.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 250, 22 January 1889, Page 2

A Tragedy in a Lunatic Asylum.

A dreadful tragedy occurred at the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum on Saturday Dec. 29. The lunatics are kept in cottages, each cottage being in charge of a warder. One of the cottages, in which were seventeen patients, only two being adults, was in ohxfge of a warder named Saturday after, noon Hunter warrouhiili a dying condition. Hie head and face were severely battered, and on his right side were sixwpunds made by a carving knife, two oi whWb were very deep, penetrating respectively his lung and liver. When discovered he waa still breathing, and lingered for two hours, when he expired. At no time did he altogether recover consciousness. Hunter had been sleeping, and must have been stunned by the blows on the head, which were dealt with a potato masher, and then stabbed. The key of the door had been removed, and has not yet been found. The attendant’s bunch of keys was also taken, but was afterwards found under the grating nf a drain. Suspicion fell upon the two adult patients named Killigrew and Howard. Killigrew stated that Hunter called Howard into the cottage on the afternoon of the murder, and the tatter *nter*d and went down the passage into Hunter’s room, the door being Closed behind him. He beard nothing more, but as Hunter did not oome out to tea h* called another warder named Cassidy, who looked through the window, and found Hunter as detoribefl. From this etatemant suspicion was thrown upon Howard, and small bloodstains being found on his trousers be was put into a refractory ward, Howard denies all knowledge of the affair, and he showed much shrewdness at the inquest. He is described in the records a* destructive to himaelf, but not towards others.