SUICIDE AT AUCKLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 2

SUICIDE AT AUCKLAND.

A PATHETIC, NOTE. - BY >■TELEGRAPH— SPECIAB CORRESPONDENT. 1 - Auckland, March' 10.;-.' ■ < 'A suicide under' somewhat. seilsationaU.ciiv : eunistances' took: place at Mayfield near Birkenhead last' night, i 'David Ernest Forest,'. ■ aged'l9;' a carpenter employed; at the Choi- v sea Sugar Works, yostordny, nioruiiig said lio , ,had seen;-'a'-' rabbit''in; the;• vicinity of. ' the ;: house, and fold' his > mother .thought.-ho, . would, go 'out. and' havo a'.shot at it.vVForv this alleged';purposo,» ho- borrowed' a : neighs 1 hour's fowling-piece; and no.one'had.aUy. apprehension that thero was an ulterior' motive:;; 'behind his action.' ' About :8;30 o'clcckiji thp, ; oTOiiing ho went' out. His mother spoke; casu- ■ ally to him--as'he left tbe housc, : and thp son ■ replied that ho was going; out for -. a shot. ...... Shortly afterwards the . mother heard tho report of a gun;-but suspected; nothing serious, as sho ' believed -that 1 v a young man named ,Wilcox was with her som .A littlo later jMrs. ...- Forest went to bed. Towards midnight, the • Eldest son,, Donald;, returnedjhome, and on ; proceeding l to his 'bedroom■ noticed a> letter, pinned to the table.' The note was addressee to. him;/; and :read ' as; follows V "I feel that I art ' becoming?dotty, .and. am about to put an end to myself. Toll mother.not to worry : about me.' You .... .. will' find my body down below the.house , ;. under the littlo bridge." v. , v;:.' . Donald Forest, at once . awakened/ hia mother, and the pair proceeded to the spot indicated by the deceased in .his letter. They, ~ found,tho, body lying near with. a ; gun beside it'; The gun was 9 big-borea f owl- ... ing-piece,• 'and in,the breech; was a) Np. >12 ... Ballistito cartridge .case.; It was evident .that the unfortunate youth had placed the barrel t in his mouth andi pulled the trigger. His head was utterly, shattered. A doctor and■ oonstablo were.: atuonco summoned, but the, former could only ••pronounce that life- bad boen extinct" some ;two or throe, hours. loung Forest was a highly respected young, ■ mail of "exemplary, character. Some, time ago he underwent,an operation for a , growth, and lately. ' lie -bad. complained - on : . waking' each morning' that he had spent long v nights of pain and sleeplessness. • ' It is-, r thoughtthat tho fear' of"another operation,■. preyed on .-his mind and-induced him to take. -, tho oxtreme action to, which i he had recourse. ... During tho day 'Forest -appeared to be m ■ rather good'spirits, and spent part of yosterday morning, in working at-his Bible-class lessons, a tablet being found-alongside tho last lettor to his brother. w