FATAL REVOLVER ACCIDENT.

Evening Star, Issue 6479, 21 December 1883, Page 4

FATAL REVOLVER ACCIDENT.

A shocking tragedy occurred at Olliffe’s Hyde Park Jiot'el, Sydney, on December 6. Ac about half-p ast 2 o’clock a man servant at the hotel, naniecl. Erasmus Eular, was in charge of the bar. A stranger came in and asked to have twa boxes, then in hia possession, taken care of for a. time. The boxes were deposited. on a shelf behind the bar. Shortly afterwards the barmaid, Norah Costello, came in and -took her accustomed place. The stranger iften asked for the boxes, and having received them, opened one and exhibited a pistoL Eular said it was a handsome weapon. He replied “Yes, I intend it as a present for my nephew in Bathurst." Same few more commonplace remark's passed, and the man proceeded to load the "weapon. “You should not do that,” said Eular; “it is dangerous.” “Nofear,” repli ed the stranger, “ there are no caps.” He appeared to have loaded three chambers, ana' was about placing a cartridge in the fourth when the charge exploded, The poor girl was heard to exclaim “Bus, Rus,” the name by which Erasmus was familiarly know n, and fell behind the bar. The man Er; ismus went instantly to her aid, raised her, a; id saw that blood was flowing from her mouth. With some assistance he carried her into the parlor, when it was found that the bullet had entered her right breast, causing almost instantaneous death. This evidence 1 is in the main corroborated by a nursegirF named Minnie Purcell, who was in the bar at the time, but, singularly enough, neither of them seems to have paid any attention to the author of the tragedy. After the shot was fired he made of, but was soon captured and committed for trial on a charge of manslaughter, His name was Coonan. The unfortunate girl was about twentytwo, and had been acting as barmaid for sixteen months. She was well known in the city, and a few weeks ago performed an act of bravery when an attempt was made to rob the till in the bar of the hotel. The deceased observed a man in the act of committing the theft, immediately seized hold of him, and notwithstanding that he abused her in a brutal manner, she succeeded in detaining him until assistance arrived, and the thief was taken into custody. The deceased never spoke after the fatal shot was fired.