Thomas Andrew Thorley

THE HUSBAND'S THREAT. yjOUHCT Ol'VaiUIlDKK AND SU1C1DJ3. The adjourned inquest concerning the deaths of Thomas Andrew Thorley and Clara May Thorley, 'the victims of the shocking tragedy which occurred at Luskin tyre on the. 27th instant, was held at the court house at west Maitland on Friday 'by the Coroner, Mr.. W. J. Xs; Kitipiia.ni, P.M. Inspector 'Walker represenlejl the police. Violet Emily Maud Mellon, a widow, reBid ing in Albion-street, stated that sh© knew both the. deceased. Clara May Thorley was her sister. She was a native of Malt-. land and 43 years ot age. sue resided at East Maitland for a number of years, but for the past throe years had lived at Wee Waa. Thomas Thorley was a year elder than his wife, and was a native of wol lombi. Her sister came down from Wee Waa on the ISth instant. She came down to say good-bye to her son, who had enlist ed On the Sunday evening she went out to Luskintyre, to the home of Mr. Percival Lumby, her son-in-law. On the 27th in stant, the day of the tragedy, Thomas Thor ley came to see her at about , 7.40 a.m. at the Angel Inn Hotel, where she was em ployed as cook. He spoke in a. friendly way, and said he had come down by the 1 am train from Wee Waa. He seemed to be ter ribly upset, and asked her where his wife was. AVitness told him she was out at Mrs. Lumby's, and he then said, 'I suppose you have heard about, the divorce.' She re plied 'Yes,' and he then said, 'I've come down to take the children.' Witness said, ? ?T ii^Yi'f ti-iinb- vnii nnn tn.kA t.hfim.' and he replied, 'Yes, I can take them; I've got ad vice.'. She asked him on what grounds his wife was suing for a divorce, and he re plied, 'Cruelty, drunkenness, and nonsup port for the last three years.' Thorley show ed her some papers of reference. He then said he was going out, and added, 'If they won't give the children up there'll be trou ble.' He wanted witness to go out with him, but she declined, saying she would have nothing to do with it. She then said to him, 'Don't be foolish. Go out, and don't have any row. Go and see Clara, and see if she'll withdraw the case. I'm sure, if you speak quietly, she will.' He said he did not wish to have any rows. 'You know what I am,' he added; 'you know if they say anything to me I'll lose my block..' She then said that if he waited until after din ner she would go with him, but he said he could not wait, as he had to be back in Wee Waa by Thursday, to start shearing at another shed. He then shook hands with her, and said, Good-bye Violet,' adding it would be for the last time. She again told him not t,. be foolish, but to go out ( Uietly. He turned to go, and as he got to the kitchen door ne put his hand in his left hand trousers pocket and took out a num ber of little black bullets, and said, 'If they don't give the children up I'll fix them up with these.' She said, 'Don't be mad.' He said, Good-bye and walked away. She took little notice of him, be ?auso ho had often threatened his wife be fore. In her own house she had often taken inn a.way wneu ue imu h««hi.y .-hv/h^*. *??' wife. She had often intervened. Deceased was always addicted to drink. About -1. 30 that afternoon she received a telegram from Mrs. Lumby, asking her to come out. and stating that her mother and father were both dead. Inspector 'Walker deposed to having, on the 27th instant, proceeded to the residence of l'ercival Lumby at Luskintyi-p. Mrs. Lumby showed him into tho front room, where he saw the dead bodies. The wo man was lying partly on her side, face down wards, and the body of the man was lying across her on his back. There was a qunn - ?? ? ? i ? 1 1, « H,,ni' i n Kin nit' . 11 KG llV Ut IHllllll Llll viivi »iwv» t ? ? ? lvsol, and a revolver was lying on the iloor iie:ir the man's feet. The revolver con tained three livo cartridges and two empty shells. Subsequently. two empty shells, were picked up, outside the front door. Two live cartridges were, found in the de eensed mini's trousers pocket. All tho oul lots produced fitted the revolver. The Coroner found that Thomas Andrew Thorley died from the effects of a revolver shot wound, wilfully indicted by himself, and that his wife, Clara May Thorley, died from the effects of revolver shot wounds feloniously and maliciously inflicted by the said Thomas Andrew Thorley. ?

• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 22 2022, 13:07:33 UTC