PLUCKY POLICEMAN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19463, 9 November 1928, Page 3

PLUCKY POLICEMAN.

A DANNEVIRKE SENSATION. (PBBSS ABSOCIATIOS TELEOSAM.) DANNEVIRKE, November ,8. All the elements of a tragedy were present in a sensational happening here in the early hours of the morning, at a residence near the Domain, occupied by Thomas Henry Lionel Hitch.-. ings, a retired farmer, who, it_ is al-J leged, attempted to commit' suicide. Police-Sergeant Martin . received _ an urgent call about 6 a.m. that .Hitchings. had threatened to "kill his. children, his wife being 'absent at Waikanae. When Sergiearit Martin reached the house there was a strange silence, and on openinjg the door, at-the back, of the house he got a surprise by finding himself covered by Hitchings with - a double-barrelled gun. Sergeant Mar-;, tin promptly closed with the man dis-i lodging the weapon from his. grasp, and. subsequently it : was found to contain, two live cartridges. . Hitchings, questioned about . his intentions, said that he- was going to shoot himself. It ; ' is. understood that; he left letters, addressed to his wife, and the Coroner: . .. . About 4 a.m. Hitchings is said to have gone to the bedrooms of the chil-: dreri One is aged fourteen, and the other two are younger. He found them awake and told them to go to_ sleep. Later he returned to 'the bedrooms with a gun-in his possession,' but it was: not then loaded. The children became alarmed. Neighbours were roused and the police sent for. ' '' Accused is reported to have said tnat "The sergeant is a lucky man. I saw him coming down the street and was waiting for him." Accused was remanded till November 19th on a charge of attempting to commit suicide. ' ;