A SUICIDE AND AN ATTEMPT.

Evening Star, Issue 12872, 23 July 1906, Page 1

A SUICIDE AND AN ATTEMPT.

i iCD» On Saturday evening James Pope, fortyone years <xf age, a market gardener, residing at Governor's Bay, at tie head of Lyttelton Harbor, committed suicide by blowing his head of? witfc. a gun before the eyes of a fouiteen-year-old daughter. Mi's Pope slates that her husband had complained of ill-health. Some time two months ago ho consulted a. doctor, who advised him to go to the hospital for treat-meat. He refused, and frequently threatened suicide. Ho made an unsuccessful attempt to shoot himself previously, -when under the influence of liquor. He left home on Saturday afternoon to shoot rabbits, and afterwards went to a hotel, wJiero he had, two drinks. His wife went to look for him, but missed her husband, who went home, met his little daughter at the door, placed the muzzle of the gun in his mouth, pressed the trigger with Ins foot, and blew 'his bruins tlirough the top of his head. One of the recent arrivals from tie Old Country by the. Devon was found lying under a bush near Ponsonby road, Auckland, suffering from a, wide wound in his throat. A small penknife was-tying beside him. The boys wfeo discovered him immediately communicated with Constable Dunn at &h.c Ponsonby Police Station, who was near, and upon going to the spot he found the man with a wound.some nine inches long in the throat and a small ■ cut on the wrist. He was taken to the hospital, but refused to say anything nibout himself whatever. Investigation, however, disclosed that ho was one of the Devon's imnßgrants, named William Dibbs, a single man, of about twenty-five years of age. Dibbs appears to have become" very desjxmdent since he arrived, owing to Wing alone out here without any friends. He is described as a grocer's assistant The wounds are not dangerous.