SAD CASE

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 3

SAD CASE

OF AN UNDERGRADUATE. LONDON, October 25. . “To my beloved parents, by deariy loved mother and father. —I did not realise until , now hovt ..great, was my love for you. I am afraid that my action will cause you untold suffering, but I "feel convinced that there is no place for me in the world. With my heartfelt love and good wishes for you both, your ever adoring son. Malcolm.”

This note, read at to-day's inquest at Cambridge, was left behind by Malcolm George Murray, 19-year-old Trinity College undergraduate, who was found shot in his rooms on .Thursday night. Murray, who was studying law, was the son of Sir Hugh Murray, of Bramble Hill Lodge, Lyndhurst, Hants, a former Forestry Commissioner* for England anl Wales. The Coroner (Mr W. R. .Wallis) recorded n verdict that Murray killed himself with 'a gunshot wound in the head while, the balance of his mind was disturbed.

’The coroner, said that the note showed Murray had made up , his mind that life was apparently not] worth living. Why he had arrived at th’at ■conclusion they did not know.. A young man on the threshold of life, he had preferred the threshold of death? They sometimes read of young persons who placed their hopes on too high a pinnacle and then became disappointed with themselves . Apparently Murray imagined he was, not getting on satisfactorily, though the evidence was that he was doing quite well.. Here was a young man without any apparent worries, but he was convinced that there was .no place in the world for him. “This seems to be the attitude to-day of a number of people, who, it appears to me, have a wishbone where their backbone ought to be,” added the coroner.

Mr Godfrey Martin Ellis Paulson, solicitor, of Moorgate-steet, E.C., stated that he saw Murray, his brother-in-law, in France about a month ago. He was then well and cheerful. He had no financial worries. The Coroner: Had he any affairs of; ■ the heart to ( your knowledge?—None at all. / Can you suggest any reason for his ’'action?—None. Mrs Florence Seamark, Murray’s landlady, said that at 7.15 p.m. on Thursday she heard a bang, but did not take much notice of it because people often let off fireworks. “A quarter of an hour later I took up Mr Murray’s supper,’ ' she said. “He was lying on the settee. I thought at first he had fallen asleep. “Then I saw a double-barrelled sporting gun between his legs and realised he had shot himself. I called another undergraduate.” Edward Vernon Favell, the undergraduate called by Mrs Seamark, said that Murray appeared to be quite carefree and without worry. Police evidence was that a book on international law was lying on the settee. Mr Murray had apparently been reading it and Some notes on the subjectwere found in his handwriting. Th-src whs also a torn-up note referring to an appointment with a : doctor in London on the Friday. ; Mr Patrick Duff, a tutor at Trinity ’'College, said that Murray was pur- : suing his University career satisfac- ■ torily and apparently happily. He had 1 always seemed normal in every way ■ as far as he knew. ■ ■ The coroner, summing up, men- • tioned that Murray might possibly ; have been perturbed about the state ■ of his health, for they knew he had , an appointment with a doctor in London. ,