THE TRAGEDY AT NORTH TAIERI.
There has rarely been a more terrible domestic tragedy than that which occurred at North Taieri early on the evening of Monday last. In every aspect, it is horribly pitiful, but it is not to be ranked as a murder, for there is no room to question that the poor woman who slaughtered two of her three children and then destroyed herself, was laboring under puerperal insanity. The facts of the case are short. Alexander Orr, a fine tall young man, has for eight months been working as a laborer on the farm of Mr John Cochrane, which is bounded on one side by an unformed road leading past the North Taieri School House. In a newly-erected wooden cottage, standing about 400 yards from the road, and screened from it by the stockyard, Orr lived with his wife and their three young children. The eldest (Robert) was just three years old; Janet, who came next, was 21 months of age; and the third was an infant, six weeks old. Mrs Orr was but 26 years old; she was stout and good-looking; she was noted as a careful housewife; she lived happily with her husband; and she joyed in her children. The cottage is snug and well provided. Mrs Orr's last confinement was a trying one; but she got better after a week or ten days. On Saturday, the 16th inst., her husband called in Mr Hugh Inglis, surgeon, East Taieri, who had before attended her. She was again not well, and she had been constantly somewhat dull or lowspirited, instead of in her usual cheerful temper. But there was nothing in her manner or her words to induce suspicion that her mind was affected. On Monday evening, Orr left work about six o'clock, went home and had a hasty tea, and then started to return a cart-saddle which had been lent by a neighbor to Mr Cochrane. The elder children were in their little bed near the fire-place; the infant lay in its parents' bed at the other end of the single apartment of which the cottage consists. Mrs Orr was seated by the fire. In less than half an hour, the ill-fated young fellow returned, and, astonished to find the door barred against him, he called and knocked at the door. He must have disturbed his wife in her terrible death-dealing. He no doubt, by his return, saved the life of his youngest born: but he did no more. It is sickening to think of what had been done in his absence. The poor demented fond mother and cheerful but strict housewife, had resolved to destroy her children and herself — but not to dirty the floor of her cottage! So she fetched in a deep tub, and placed it midway between the two beds. She went to a carpet bag that hung behind the door, got her husband's razor from its case, returned the case, and replaced the bag. Then she must have taken her eldest child from the bed, where be lay next the wall, and giving one sweep of the razor over the child's throat, she placed him head downwards in the tub. Next, she lifted the girl from the bed, and, in putting her hand under its head or neck — she probably did not disturb its sleep — she left a bloodprint where her knuckles rested on the pillow. Little Janet found a place beside her brother in the tub! Doubtless at this moment Orr's call startled the mad mother; for it is not consistent with all that is known of murders done by mothers under such circumstances, that she intended to leave her infant to the trials and miseries of the world out of which she had resolved to despatch her other offspring and herself. At the instant she with one hand drew back the catch of the door, she must have cut her own throat with the other. So Orr's door opened only that he might see his wife fall bleeding awfully, and place her head over the tub; and as he looked horror-stricken at her, he saw two of his children there in the ghastly position we have indicated. It is not to be wondered at that he ran shrieking to his employer's house; or that yesterday, when called upon, at the inquest, to state what he knew, he could only do so in the midst of convulsive sobbings.
Mounted-constable Carter was fetched from the West Taieri soon after the panic of the neighbours had subsided. That officer took charge of the house; and the jury saw it yesterday, much as it was an instant after Orr had entered on his return from his errand. It would be difficult for an imagination the most fertile in horrors, to suppose a scene of the land more horrible than that presented by the tidy little cottage, with its floor garnished as it was when the jury viewed it.
The inquest was held yesterday, at the School House, by Mr James Fulton, R.M., the Coroner for the district. Chief Detective Thomson had been despatched from Dunedin as soon as Carter brought in the news on Tuesday; and the examination of the witnesses was conducted by Thomson. This was the evidence:—
Alexander Orr: I am a farm laborer in the employment of Mr John Cochrane, North Taieri. I left my work about six o'clock on the evening of Monday, the 25th instant, and I went home and had tea. About five minutes after I had had my tea — or about a quarter after six, I should think — I went to take a cart saddle to Mr Cullen. It belonged to Mr Cullen, and had been borrowed by Mr Cochrane. Cullen's house is about half a mile from mine. I returned the saddle and went straight home again. On coming to the door, I found it shut. I knocked at the door, but I got no answer. My wife drew back the snick of the door — I heard a noise as of someone falling — and I found my wife lying over the tub in the centre of the place, with her throat cut. I called out, "Whatever have you done, Mary?" She did not speak, but she just turned and stared me in the face. Then I saw my two eldest children, Robert and Janet, lying in the tub, with their heads downwards, and bleeding awfully. I did not disturb the bodies, but I went to fetch Mr Cochrane. I returned almost immediately with him and some one else — I don't know who. I then removed the bodies of the two children from the tub. I don't know what appearance they presented, hardly; but their throats were cut. When I left the house with the Saddle, Robert and Janet were in their own bed and the baby was in our bed. Baby was six weeks old. When I went out, I did not notice anything different in the manner of my wife.
She had been extremely low spirited since her confinement; but I never heard her refer to anything like destroying herself. I know that my wife's father committed suicide; but I never heard of any other member of the family showing signs of insanity. My wife was always of a lively disposition previous to her last confinement. We have always lived happily together. The clothes shown by me to Detective Thomson to-day, were those I wore throughout Monday last. My wife was 26 years old, and we had been married four years. We were married at home; and the infant I have mentioned was her third child. Robert was three years old, and Janet about 21 months. When I went into the cottage on Monday evening, I did not notice anything in my wife's hand. The razor shown to me is mine; I last saw it in its case, which was in a carpet-bag hanging behind the door.
John Cochrane: I am a farmer at North Taieri. Alexander Orr is in my employment. He left off work somewhere near six o'clock on Monday evening. When it was near seven o'clock, I was returning from a neighbor's; and when crossing the paddock, I heard a great noise of a man crying out. On reaching near home, my wife met me, screaming, and I saw Orr leaning over a fence, crying. He was greatly agitated. He said, "Come over, John." I went with him. On going into the house, I saw the two elder children lying with their heads in a tub, which stood in the centre of the room. Mrs Orr was lying between the bed and the tub, and with her feet to the door. I felt so sick, that at first I could scarce think of anything; but I heard the infant crying in the large bed. I took the child up, gave it to Charles Macdonald, and told him to take it to my wife. Mrs Orr was alive, but was apparently expiring. She did not speak. Orr has been in my employment going eight months. He was a remarkably kind man to his wife. When I entered the house, I did not notice any indication of a struggle having taken place there. When Orr came to me, I did not notice any disorder in his dress, or any mark of blood upon him. By a Juror: On Monday evening, I instructed Orr to take back a saddle to Mr Cullen.
Charles Macdonald: I am a day laborer. On Monday evening, I was at Mr Cochrane's; and while I was preparing to make my bed in one of the outhouses, I heard a man screaming. I ran out and saw Orr speaking to Mrs Cochrane. I followed Mr Cochrane and Orr to Orr's cottage. When I went in, I saw two children all but their feet in a tub, and a woman lying on the floor, with her face to the tub and her back to the bed. Orr touched the woman, and said, "Oh! what made you do this?" She was all but dead, and the children were quite dead. They were all bleeding from the throats. Everything in the house was orderly and clean, except just where the bodies were lying.
Hugh Inglis, a legally-qualified medical practitioner, residing at East Taieri: About 8 o'clock on Monday evening, Macdonald came to me and told me that two children and a woman had their throats cut at North Taieri. I went with Macdonald to Orr's house. I found the bodies of Mrs Orr and two children lying on the floor, dead. There was no one inside the house at the time, but several men were standing outside. Mrs Orr had her feet towards the door, and was lying nearly on her back, one side being a little raised against an overturned chair. There was a tub on the other side of her body. Her right hand was extended, with the fingers clenched. Her head was thrown back and turned towards the tub; there was a gaping wound on her throat, and close to her right shoulder there was a large quantity of blood. Her left arm was partly across her body and resting against the chair. On the other side of the tub, I saw the bodies of the two children. I made a superficial examination, and saw that the throat of each was cut. I have to-day made an examination of the wounds, as far as can be done without dissection. The wounds on the children are quite similar in character, but one is more extended than the other. A large incised wound extends from the angle of the jaw on the left side, to nearly the ear on the right side, and a little below it, and divides everything down to the vertebrae on the right side, the cut being not quite so deep on the left side, where it was evidently commenced. The wounds must have been produced with a very sharp instrument, used with considerable force. This razor would inflict them, if wielded by a very firm hand. Each wound was caused by one sweep of the instrument — there is not the slightest sign of repeated cuttings. The wound on Mrs Orr's throat is more superficial The integuments and external muscles are cut completely through; as are also the external jugular veins and the windpipe, the gullet being only slightly wounded, and the carotid artery and internal jugular veins being uninjured. The position of each of the three wounds was immediately below the larynx. This wound was such as would be caused by the same instrument as would inflict the others, but used with less force. There is nothing about the wound on Mrs Orr's throat which is against the probability of its being self-inflicted. I think it was cut from left to right, but it is less evidently so than the others. I think the probability is that the wound was self-inflicted — it has all the appearance of a self-inflicted wound. I attended Mrs Orr during her last two confinements — the last about six weeks ago. I learned then, that she had been suffering for months from an affection of the bladder. That rendered the confinement a severe one; and since then she has not been in good health. On Saturday week, I was called to see her. I found that she had been suffering from severe hemorrhage for several days; she was in bed, and was extremely weak in consequence of loss of blood. She was dull in spirits — desponding on account of not being able to attend to her household duties. I did not notice anything but the dulness: it did not amount to melancholy, and there was nothing like perversion of ideas. She did not suffer from puerperal fever; but from what I know of her constitution and previous health — especially the loss of blood — I believe that she would be predisposed to an attack of puerperal insanity. Suicidal tendency and homicidal tendency, one or both, commonly enough mark puerperal insanity. By a Juror: It may come on quite suddenly, or without any special symptoms to attract attention. It may last but an hour or so, or it may continue for a week. Generally, it comes on two or three days after confinement; but it has been known to show itself as late as sixty days. It is a common disease, just before or after confinement.
James Carter, mounted constable, stationed at West Taieri: I arrived at Orr's cottage about eleven o'clock on Monday night. I received the key of the cottage from Cochrane, and went in, accompanied by Mr Inglis. The bodies were then in the same position, and the room was in the same condition, as they were seen by the jury to-day. I did not then see any weapon. I locked the cottage and took the key with me. On Tuesday morning, I returned and searched; and I found this razor, lying under the body of the woman, just about the waist. There was not the slightest indication of a struggle in the cottage; but I found a stain of blood on a pillow on the small bed. It was as though it was imprinted by the back of a woman's hand — by a small hand, certainly. I had previously searched a carpet bag which I found hanging behind the door; and in the bag I found an empty open razor case. I kept the key of cottage until I gave it to Detective Thomson to-day.
James Wylie, farm laborer, in the employment of Mr James Robertson: I am the husband to the deceased's, Mrs Orr's, sister. I saw Mrs Orr on Sunday, when I visited her with my wife. She looked better than I had seen her since her confinement; but she was low-spirited a little, as she had been ever since her confinement. My wife had been stopping with Mrs Orr from time to time. The deceased and her husband lived on the best of terms. I came from the same neighborhood as they did; and I have known them for five years. They were always on the best of terms. Mrs Orr's father committed suicide, but no other member of the family ever did so before this.
John Campbell, farm laborer in the employment of Mr Cullen: About half-past six o'clock on Monday evening, I was in the loft over Mr Cullen's stable, washing. I heard some one come in and speak: the person said, "This is the saddle I have brought back." I said, "All right," and added, "Go into the house and tell the stable-man." When I came down, I found a cart-saddle belonging to Mr Cullen placed beside the wall. I know it had been lent, but not to whom.
John Bell Thomson, detective officer stationed at Dunedin: In company with Constable Carter, I this morning examined minutely the clothes worn by Alexander Orr on the evening of Monday last. There was no trace of blood on them. I have made inquiries to-day, and I find that Orr bears the character of having always been kind and considerate towards his wife.
Orr recalled: When I left the children on Monday evening, they were in their own bed; and the boy lay next the wall.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased Mary Orr, while laboring under temporary insanity, murdered her children, Robert and Janet, and then committed suicide. -Otago Daily Times, 28/6/1866.
Robert Orr, three years old, is recorded on the burial records as being born in Scotland and Janet in Mosgeil in September 1864 so it is possible that the family were quite new to New Zealand. Alexander Orr, the youngest, spared by his father's arrival at their home, died five months after his mother, brother and sister.
I could find nothing definite to chart the later story of poor Alexander senior.
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