**TRIGGER WARNING**
- This story contains murder suicide and graphic details -
One paper called this event 'Horrors on Horrors' Whereas I prefer to think of this story as 'Tragedies on Tragedies'
It started in a pretty little villa with a flower garden that was located on the Terrace at the top of what was known as Jacob’s ladder (now known as Church Street) The villa belonged to the Miller Family. Mr Edward Miller, Frances Miller (or known as Fanny Miller) and the youngest two of their six children, Clarence and Randolph.
Mr Miller was approx 52 years old and was employed at the Treasury. He was described as being one of the most respected citizens in Wellington, a highly accomplished man, deeply read and of a most genial and courteous manner. He was well respected and had been at one stage manager of a bank branch in Wellington. Mrs Miller was about 60 years old and took care of the house and family. Clarence 19 and Randolph 17 were both working at Mills Foundry. Clarence was learning to become a mechanical engineer.
Mr Miller had been in bed, ill the previous two weeks suffering from a carbuncle on his neck. He had been attended regularly by a doctor, so on the morning of the 19th of November 1879 Clarence went to the doctor to fetch his fathers medicine and also to get his thumb bandaged. He wasn’t working due to a thumb injury. When he returned from the doctors, the servant Theresa Rooney, gave the medicine to Mr Miller. Clarence then told her to go about her work with a peculiar smile on his face. Theresa went outside to gather some laundry that was hanging on the line to dry and some 15 minutes later she went back inside. She had no idea what she was about to walk into.
Upon reaching the back door she heard an odd gurgling sound and was then horrified to see Clarence. He was sawing away at his own throat with a carving knife with all his might, blood gushing out onto the floor. His eyes appeared fixed on her but she couldn’t say if he recognised her or not. She shouted out ‘Clary, Clary, what are you doing!?’ then rushed away in a panic for assistance.
She went to the neighbours who came back to the house with her. They found Clarence lying on the back door step. He raised his head and turned to face towards them as if he’d heard them coming. The neighbour advised Theresa to rush and get a doctor while she watched over Clarence. The doctor was not in so she returned to the neighbour who jumped into a cab and alerted other doctors.
Three doctors arrived at the same time and were not fully aware of what they were about to find. They were merely told that a young man had attempted suicide. They went into the house via the front door and could smell a strong smell of gunpowder. They went into the front bedroom where they found Mr Miller lying on his bed. Murdered.
There was a long and deep cut across Mr Miller’s throat along with a long and deep wound on the right side of his neck just under his ear. The cut went as far down as the vertebrae, severing all vital parts.There were also some cuts on the left side of his head. A broken stock of a gun was found on the bed beside Mr Miller and the barrel of the gun was found lying alongside the bed on the floor. Both were covered in blood and hair and appeared to have been used to beat Mr Miller about the head. The gun was only loaded with powder which explained the strong smell of gunpowder and no bullet wounds.
The doctors went into the rest of the house and found Mrs Miller lying across the doorway between the kitchen and passage. Some coal was also found scattered about her. She had also been murdered. She was found to have a deep cut in the throat from ear to ear, severing the windpipe. The wound was sufficient enough to cause almost instant death.
The doctors moved on into the kitchen where they found three knives spattered with blood. The wall leading to the yard was also covered in blood.
They found Clarence. He was dead and discovered lying face down with his head resting on the back doorstep and his body in the scullery. He was found in a great pool of blood with a carving knife near his right hand. Upon examination of the body he was found to also have a deep wound across his throat.
The police were alerted and were quick to come and take charge of the scene.
It was assumed that Clarence attacked his father first with the gun (I’m assuming while his mother was elsewhere collecting coal) then retrieving a knife, he proceeded to cut his fathers throat. He then attacked his mother with the same knife in the passage as she was returning with the coal. He then went into the kitchen and selected a different carving knife to cut his own throat.
It was reported by a doctor that he probably inflicted the injury on himself while standing but made one or two steps towards the scullery when he heard Theresa calling out to him, he then fell down in a dying condition on the step. The doctor believed that he committed these attacks under a state of acute mania. Poor Theresa didn’t hear anything and neither did any of their neighbours.
Police started investigating to try and find out what happened leading up to the event.
Clarence had seemed to always be on affectionate terms with both his parents but had seemed anxious about them. He had reportedly on more than one occasion shown symptoms of aberration of intellect (meaning not normal) Although he was also said to be cheerful, active and industrious with his work despite having intervals that gave way to fits of uncontrollable frenzy and a previous attempt at suicide.
A doctor told how in August that year, Mr Miller had brought Clarence to see him as Clarence seemed to be suffering from depression and morbid fantasies but in two or three weeks he appeared to recover. The doctor believed Clarence must’ve thought he was doing his father a kindness by ending his suffering.
Theresa had said that Clarence appeared to her to be low in spirit on account of his fathers illness. She also said that the week beforehand Mrs Miller had asked her what she thought of Clarence. Mrs Miller appeared to have some misgivings as she had told Theresa that she was afraid Clarence would not be able to live if anything happened to Mr Miller. Theresa however had not had any suspicions herself as she had said to Mrs Miller that she didn’t know what to think of him but she wished he was back at work. Theresa said that she had never seen anything about Clarence’s manner to lead her to think he was of unsound mind.
It became known that one of the other, older children had committed suicide earlier that year. He was Walter L Miller who was an accountant in the bank of new south wales, Greymouth. He had committed suicide on the 28th of March 1879 He was in an outhouse of the bank where he worked and shot himself in the head. He had lived in Greymouth for about 7-8 years and was said to be well liked and a kind hearted person but he had been under medical attendance during the last month. His wife was said to be unwell and he suffered great anxiety about her health. He had also attempted suicide previously by drowning. He left behind his wife and two young children and was 27 years old.
The funeral for the Millers was kept strictly private but a large concourse of people assembled both at the house and at the cemetery where they were all buried together. The house was still visited weeks later by large numbers of curious people.
The investigation concluded without any hesitation, that Clarence murdered his father and mother while in a state of unsound mind and immediately afterwards committed suicide.
I wish this tragic tale ended here but unfortunately not. Randolph who had been at work and it was recommended that he be moved away from the scene so he was sent to a farm not too far away in Vogeltown. About 23 years later Randolph aged roughly 41 lived alone in a small house in Brooklyn. He was found lying dead beside his bed. A blood stained razor was found close by. He had committed suicide by cutting his own throat. He was buried at Karori Cemetery.
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This photo was taken by T Love in 2021 Find a grave website
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