>From The South Australian Advertiser 21, January 1903 - A LUCKY GIRL. HER LIFE TWICE ATTEMPTED. ESCAPES EACH TIME. SUICIDE OF HER ASSAILANT. Sydney, January 20. At the Moree Hotel last evening Horace Charles Ezzy, about 19 years of age, attacked Kate Ahearn, aged l8, with a razor. The girl escaped, and the young man then committed suicide by cutting his throat. The parties in the tragedy had been keeping company for some months past, and until a short time before the occurrence they appeared to be on friendly terms. It is said that the girl had been invited to attend a surprise party last night. Ezzy objected to her going, but she refused to comply with his request that she should stay away. The first intimation of the tragedy was given to three gentlemen, who were talking in the hotel bar. Miss Ahearn rushed in in an excited state, exclaiming that Ezzy had attempted to cut her throat. She had a slight wound near the eye, from which blood was flowing. She did not give any definite account of what had happened, and a little boy then called out that the man had tried to cut his throat. The men rushed out, and blood was noticed to be flowing from under the door of the bedroom. One of them then forced the door open. It was not locked, but had some weight pressing against it. On the door being opened a horrible sight was presented. The floor was covered with blood, and the prostrate form of the young fellow was found lying face downwards under the bed, where it had evidently been forced by the door being opened. Mr. Griffin caught hold of the wounded man and raised him to his feet, when Ezzy made an attempt to grapple with him. In reply to a question as to what was the matter, he made an attempt to articulate, but only a gurgling sound was emitted. A doctor was immediately sent for, but before his arrival the young fellow had died. The deceased had been out of work, but yesterday he appeared to be in a cheerful mood, as he hoped shortly to get employment. He resided with his parents and brothers and sisters, who are well known and respected. Some months since Kate Ahearn had had a somewhat similar experience, a man having attempted to cut her throat at Boggabiri, near Gunnedah. The man is now serving a sentence for the act. ------------------------------------------------ Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper Aherns in Australian Records http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~aherns/ahcrim.htm ------------------------------------------------

>From the Poverty Bay Herald, 29 January 1903 - TRAGEDY OF A SURPRISE PARTY. A Moree message to the Sydney Telegraph states:-- Last night about 8.30 Horace Charles Ezzy, aged 18 years, committed suicide at the Post-office Hotel, under peculiar circumstances. An inquest was held at the Court today, before the Coroner. It appears that deceased had been keeping company with a girl, Kitty Ahearn, with whom he quarreled because she persisted in attending a surprise party, to which he objected to her going. Miss Ahearn, with others, was getting ready for the party, when Ezzy came to the bedroom door, and said he would not allow her to go. She stated her intention of going, and he then made a grab at her, catching her by the shoulder with his left hand. He held a half-open razor in the other. Miss Ahearn succeeded in getting away from him, and ran into the hotel bar. Ezzy then ran into the bedroom, locked himself in, and cut his throat. The door had to be forced, and he was then found lying under the bed with his throat cut from ear to ear. He was pulled out by two men, and staggered to his feet, but died almost instantaneously. Kitty Ahearn, while giving evidence at the inquest, was greatly agitated, and had to be removed. Some months since her throat was cut by a man at Boggabri, near Gunneduh, and the man is how serving a sentence for it. ------------------------------------------------ Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper Aherns in Australian Records http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~aherns/ahcrim.htm ------------------------------------------------