YOUTH SHOT DEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 September 1931, Page 9

YOUTH SHOT DEAD

GIRL’S REMARKABLE STORY. BOWRAL (N.S.W.) August 31, The escapade of a young man and a young woman, who left Manly on a motor cycle on Saturday morning, ended in a shooting fatality in the hush near the Bowral golf links last night, the victim being Herbert Allan Smith, 18, of Balgowish-road, Manly. According to a statement made to •the police by the girl, who gave tier name as Gwen Watson, also of Manly, Smith shot himself following an .amazing threat. J Miss Watson told the police that she had been acquainted with Smith for a few days, and knew him only as Bert, not being aware of any other name. Before they started on their journey, he suggested that she should . dress in male attire, because he said that she would look less conspicuous. She rode pillion, and after reaching Picton, they decided- to camp there for the night. They came on to Bow-

ral yesterday and made a camp in the scrub near the Bowral golf links, not i far from the town. The girl added that during the day Smith went into Bowral and when he returned to the cainp he had a bottle of liquor which he was drinking. That night, ■ she said, she managed to secure, the bottle from him, and, walking into the bush, she threw it away. On returning to the camp. Smith said that if she did not bring the bottle of liquor back he would shoot himself, but as she did not take him seriously, she laughed and walked away from him. A shot was then fired and on rushing back she found that he had shot himself through the head and was dead. The police were then notified. The weapon with which the fatal wound was inflicted is like a top, only a few inches long. A motor license found on Smith was in the name of Walter Robert Sindel, of Manly. Smith’s body was identified by his brother.