SUICIDE AT BROOKLYN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 631, 7 October 1909, Page 4

SUICIDE AT BROOKLYN.

SHOT WITH A SERVICE RIFLE. ..>An inquiry; into th'e death of 'Maurice John Matthows, -Jaw-'clerk and accountant, who 'was found - dead .athisTOsidence, - Brooklyn 1 on .Tuesday,' was : held by Dr.. M'Arthur, a.M., at tho morgue yesterday morning. . he iSadhbeen .callecl to .the rosidenco ordecea?ed at 1.45 p.m. '011 - Tnesday, - and •' found atthews lying on a be« .on.,his, grasping. a, rifle in! tho left nana, with, the muzzle' pointed to his mouth Ihere was a stick,: apparently'a cricket stump' lying, on the bed in contact with the .trigger of the rifle. ;On the chin there'was-the mark'of bluckenejl poivder r indicating that the muzzle or <tho iriflo had clo&a'to his "month He would say tho .mouth,,rfa3';,6pcn:^vhen,the rifle went-off:: ..IhqjbuUet had penetrated the roof of theimouth a little tb-tho left of tho medial liny of t-tnp .body, andJhad .'como.'. out of the roof of the skull. ■' The-v bullet. had , passed through^the oh :• being • a nole ; both.:insid6latia:;6atside,the' house,: ceased 'had,' probably/;'heen• dead,'ten minute The: cause shock'iarid- - internal .hemorrhage,; bullet the^'de- -. censed; KStified-that %hfe"had resided with her :nusband at Hayes Street,.Brooklyn; ; On Monday jevcningr she went -to Khandallah: to visit otriemV leaving her husband at his tea. Tho Tatter .'had been' drinking for a day or two, and ;had..been! away from; his business since l'riday . last, ;On Monday last he had been out dnnking, but not to excess. He returned homo at midday and remained hoplo all the afternoon. He .had no drink; at home. - After 5 p.m. (when witness went' away) deceased appeared ; to be all; right Be had'promised to g> to his business the next day, and it was ; arrnnged that:,witness'should call at the office anc. lunoli with him. They had parted good .friends. Her two sons were at home that evening. She returned to town at 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday, and'called, at the otaco at 12.50 p.m. She found that he had not been there that day. Witness, went straight homo, and was just ariing,,the;;backdoor,whon'siio heard a shot: Thinking it. was the,boys shooting, rabbits, she took "no. notice tof-it,-.'but went to .change her dreSS.j: l In.'.the'-bMiOoni'she sriielt powder; and saw hef-htisbaiid'lying on the bed. She touched him and asked him to. speak; but there was no answer.'; . She-went oht and sent for . tho docat once.':'p6ceased had-never mentioned anything "to herabout - financial difficulties, though she knew he had been : dabbling in horse-racing.- The . rifle belonged to her son, who was a member of the City lUfles. lie had 15 cartridges, bnt when they wer» counted afterwards there were only 15 left. . Constable Pcarco gave corroborative evidence to that - fumishecl : by: the " ; Dr.' M'Arthur-gave ,th 6, Verdict that : death was caused by shock; and internal hemorrhage, caused by a gunshot, self-inflicted. . .