TRAGEDY AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. THE HON. W. J. M. LARNACH SHOOTS HIMSELF.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 90, 13 October 1898, Page 5

TRAGEDY AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. THE HON. W. J. M. LARNACH SHOOTS HIMSELF.

A startling tragedy occurred at the Parliamentary Buildings some time iv the early part of last evening, the Hon. W. J. M* Larnach, member for Tuapeka, shooting himself through the head, and apparently causing instantaneous death. The circumstances of the affair are truly shocking. Mr. Larnach was about the precincts of the Parliamentary Buildings all day, mixing with his brother members, and performing his duties in his accustomed way. In the morning he attended on one of the Committees, and in the afternoon he was for a time in his place in the House. About 4 o'clock, or a little after, Mr. E. W. Kane, one of the officers of the House, saw him enter the J Committee-room, and heard him lock the door after him, but as it was his custom to use the room for letter-writing Mr. Kane did not consider the act of special significance. Twenty minutes later Mr. R. M'Kenzie tried the door of the same room, and on finding it locked walked away. It is probable that it was during those 20 minutes that the member for Tuapeka took his life. Mr. Larnach had been in a very despondent condition for the past week, and when he did not come home to tea last evening some anxiety was felt by his relatives coucerning him. This increased as the night wor« on, and Mrs. Larnach sent down to the House to enquire if he had been seen. Mr. Mills, the senior Government Whip, immediately instituted enquiries, but no trace of Mr. Larnach could be found. This was shortly before 9 o'clock. After searching various rooms Mr. Mills came to the door of the J Committee-room and found it locked on the inside. As no reply was given to his knocks he had the door burst open, and found the unfortunate gentleman sitting in a chair at the head of the table quite dead and cold. A revolver was in his right hand with one chamber discharged, and above his left temple was the wound that had caused his death. The dreadful news was conveyed to the Premier, who was in his place in the Chamber, and he immediately announced it to the House. Mr. Seddon, it was plain to all, was terribly shocked. He could only say that he had to announce the death of the member for Tuapeka under most distressing circum-' stances, and moved the adjournment of the House. Members, who knew nothing of the circumstauces and who had seen Mr. Larnach about during the day, could not >at first realise what the announcement meant, but they were soon enlightened, and the subdued air which the presence of death always brings came over the place while they gathered together in knots and discussed in lowered tones the shocking tidings. The cause of the desperate act is at present uncertain. A careful search was made by Inspector Pender for any written message, but nothing was discovered. It is thought that financial worries axe at the bottom of the Fad affair. Yesterday Mr. Larnach evidently expected news of importance from the South, and when the mail was distributed about 3 o'clock he at once asked for his letters. These evidently were of an unsatisfactory nature, for after reading them he appeared most agitated, aud asked if they had been tampered with. He was, of course, assured that no one had interfered with them. He wrote two or three letters, apparently replies to those received, and posted them. One of these was written at the last moment, and a messenger had to be despatched in haste with it in order to catch the mail. Mr. Larnach appeared much excited over this letter. It was after sending it away that he went to the J Committee-room, where his body was found later on, as already stated. The letters written a few minutes prior to his death may, when they reach their destination, throw some light upon the tragedy. It may seem strange that the report of the revolver shot was not heard by some one of the many persons who pass and repass the room all day long, but the walls are thick, and the sound would be deadened by the muzzle of the revolver being placed close to the unfortunate man's head. The revolver was bought some three weeks ago at Tisdall's shop, Lambtonquay, and curiously enough another member of the House, Mr. Duncan, happened to be in the shop at the .time the purchase was made. Arrangements are being made for the conveyance of the body to Dunedin tomorrow afternoon for interment there, the Premier having given the use of the Hineraoa for the purpose. Mr. Douglas Larnach, a son of the deceased, is now on his way up to Wellington from Duneuin. Flags were half mast high to-day on the Government offices, the shipping, and at the Colonial Mutual buildings, deceased having been a director of the Colonial Mutual Life Association. An inquest was being held at the Metropolitan Hotel as we went to press. CAREER OF THE DECEASED. Born in 1838, on Major Mudie's (his grandfather) estate at Castle Forbes, Hunter River; New South Wales (his father being Mr. John Larnach, of Rosemount, Hunter River), the deceased, William James Mudie Larnach, after being educated at the High School, Singleton, and at the Sydney College, as a youth visited the first goldiields discovered in Australia near Bathurst, and did a little digging. Then he engaged in farming for a time, relinquishing this for commercial and banking business, having 25 years' experience in the latter. In 1866-67 Mr. Larnach went to England and the Continent, and this visit led to his settliug in Dunedin in 1867 as Australasian Manager for the Bank of Otago, continuing iv that position until the business merged into the National Bank of New Zealand in 1874. He then secured an interest in a mercantile firm, aud in 1875 was defeated by 11 votes for the Peninsula seat b} r Mr. (now Sir Robert) Stout, but the following year was elected to represent Duuedin City in Parliament, where in 1877 he came into prominence as the mover of a want of confidence motion iv the Whitaker- Atkinson Ministry, which brought about their resignations. Then Mr. Laruach,atthe call of the Marquis of Normauby, formed the Grey Government, in which he held the portfolios of Colonial Treasurer, Minister of Public Works and Railways, and Minister of Stamps. In his Finaucial Statement of November, 1877, Mr. Larnach successfully advocated the colonialisation of the Land Funds of the provinces. Next year he went to London and floated a three million loan — known as the ten-forty loan. On going to London he left his resignation with his colleagues, on the understanding that if it was used he was to be called to the Upper House. The resignation was used, but he was never called to the Council. During two years' stay in Englai.d he conducted various negotiations, and ever since then the Bank of England has acted as banker for the colony, and as a result of his services in connection with loan floating aud pther financial matters at Home, be was created a C.M.G. The Hon. Mr. Larnach was a Commissioner for the colon}' at the French National Exhibition in 1878, returning to New Zealand in 1880, and was re-elected for the Peninsula seat; and afterwards won the esteem and respect of the mining community by his valuable services as Minister of Mines under the Stout- Vogel regime. In 1887 he was gazetted Hon. Colonel of the Otago Volunteers. In 1890 he was defeated for the Peninsula, but in 1894 was elected (on the death of Mr. Vincent

Pyke) for the Tuapeka seat. In 1891 he was Chairman of the Royal Commission which enquired into the affairs of the Public Trust Office. Mr. Larnach always belonged to the Liberal side of the House, but maintained an independent attitude. He was married three times — iv 1859 to Miss Guise (only daughter of an Australian squatter), who died in 1680; in. 1882 to Miss Mary Cockburn-AUeyne (also daughter of an Australian squatter), who died in 1887 ; and in 1891 to Miss Constance de Bathe Brandon, eldest daughter of the late Hon. A. de Bathe Brandon, of Wellington. Since 1894, the Hon. Mr. Larnach has been a quiet figure in Parliament, chiefly busying himself with his responsible and onerous duties as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, besides the considerable time which he gave to the Gold Mines Committee work.