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- from the Queenstown Free Press transcribed by Suneia Heath:
"Tuesday October 30th, 1894
A Murderous Assault.
On the night of Thursday last the residence of Mr Joseph GADD, Grahamstown, was broken into by, it is supposed, a native, and a murderous assault made on Mr and Mrs GADD. Both were severely injured about the head and body. Mrs GADD had not as yet recovered consciousness. The scoundrel who committed the assault managed to get away before the house was roused. The weapon used by him was a hatchet.
After leaving Mr GADD’s house the brute seems to have made for the residence of Mrs E CARLISLE, Oatlands. He effected an entrance, and what took place there is recounted by Miss Ethel EDDIE – a young lady of 15 years of age. Miss EDDIE, it appears, was sleeping by herself in the sitting room adjoining her aunts room.
About 2 a.m. she was awakened by feeling a hand gliding up the bed, until it suddenly seized her by the throat, but not tightly enough to prevent her screaming loudly for assistance. Although (says the “Penny Mail”) naturally, excessively alarmed , the young lady seems to have acted with great courage throughout. She even distinctly recollects wondering at the time, what her assailant was doing with his other and, and the subsequent discovery near the bedstead, of a claw hammer hatchet. With a fresh blood stain on the haft, points to the conclusion that the miscreant, while grasping his would-be victim by the throat with one hand was probing about the floor with the other for the deadly implement, which there is a strong presumptive evidence to shew is the identical weapon with which the murderous onslaught had previously been made upon Mr and Mrs GADD. Aroused by Miss EDDIE’s cries, Mrs CARLISLE came to her assistance, whereupon the native dashed through a big bay window without waiting to open it and disappeared. We are informed by Mr GADD’s friends in Queenstown that that gentleman is progressing favourably, but that Mrs GADD is still unconscious.
A native has been arrested on suspicion.
Tuesday November 6th.
The sad news was received in town this (Monday) morning that Mr GADD had died, on Sunday night, from the terrible effects of the injuries he had received in the recent murderous assault. Great sympathy is felt for the relatives of the late Mr and Mrs GADD. The occurrence is one of the most distressing ever recorded in this Colony. Particular sympathy is felt for young Mr GADD, who was asleep in the house while his beloved parents were being brutally murdered. Mr GADD sen., was once a resident in this district, he lived on the farm “Oxton” and at one time represented this constituency in the House of Assembly.
Tuesday November 13th
Mr. GADD’s Funeral.
The mortal remains of the late Mr Joseph GADD were carried to their last resting-place on Tuesday afternoon last, in the Episcopalian Cemetery. The Rev M NORTON, Incumbent of Christi Church, officiated at the Church and at graveside. The chief mourners were the two sons of the deceased, Messrs Harold and Montague GADD, Mr John E WOOD, M.L.A., and Dr GREATHEAD....
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