SUICIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 53, 4 March 1901, Page 8

SUICIDE.

On Saturday morning an old man named John James Kilmer, residing alone in a one-roomed cottage in Hillstreet, Onehunga, was found dead in his bed, shot, through the abdomen. The deceased had evidently sat up in bed, placed the muzzle of the gun to the pit of his stomach, and steadying it with one hand, had pulled the trigger with the other hand. A singlebarrelled gun was found beside the bed-

An inquest was held on. Saturday before Air T. Hutchison, S.M. John Geo_rge, residing in Hill-street, deposed that deceased was about Cl years of age, and a blacksmith by trade, but had not been able to follow his trade for some years through illness. For about two years deceased had suffered from bone decay, and the pain had of late been so severe that he said he could bear it no longer. Deceased had argued to witness that a strong man suffering as he did would be justified in terminating his life. He had shown signs of mental weakness about two years ago, bat not since then. Dr. \V- R. C. Erson gave it as his opinion that the wound was self-inflicted, and that the primary cause of death was shock. If Filtnef was afflicted with bone decay it would cause intense suffering, and would tend to upset the mental equilibrium. Evidence Avas also given by John Jeffs, who found deceased dead, and by Constable Tapp. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died from a selfinflicted wound, while suffering from intense pain, and ■in a condition of mental derangement. A rider was added requesting Hiif Worship to communicate with the Onehunga Borough Council, urging upon them the necessity of providing a public morgue.