THE O'REILLY SUICIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 155, 2 July 1901, Page 2

THE O'REILLY SUICIDE.

At the inquest held in Sydney on the body of Thomas Henry O'Reilly, a medicifl man, formerly practising at Huntly, Auckland, Constable Mowbray stated that he knew the deceased about 14 or 15 years ago in New Zealand, when he was a clerk. Deceased, who recognised witness at the police station, stated that he was a medical man, having passed his examinations in 1890, and was advised to come to Sydney because he was suffering from depression.

Edward Wilson, bookkeeper at the Hotel Mctropole, stated that deceased had been staying there for the past four months. He was very depressed, and he had his meals by himself in his room. On Saturday, about 6.45, witness went to deceased's room and knocked at the door, and after a slight pause opened it, and found deceased sitting on the window with a gun pointed at his breast, and his bare toe on the trigger. A £5 note was lying on the table, and deceased said: "Come and get your money." Witness said: "No thanks, I'd rather not; I don't want your money." After further conversation deceased stood the gun against the bed, and said he was mentally depressed. Deceased had been told to leave the hotel on account of always staying in his room, and said that he was going to leave that day. He afterwards asked to be allowed to stay longer, and witness agreed to let him if he would hand over the rifle. Deceased then unloaded the rifle, and gave it to witness, who took it out of the room.

Constable Mackie said that he went to the hotel and had a conversation with the deceased, who said, when asked if he intended to take his life, "It was in the balance one way or the other." Deceased also said that private family matters troubled him, and caused him to suffer from depression. Dr. Paton stated that when he saw the deceased he had been dead about an hour, having bled to death from a wound in the femoral artery. , A verdict of suicide was returned.