SUICIDE AT PAPANUI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11531, 18 March 1898, Page 5

SUICIDE AT PAPANUI.

An old man, sixty years of age, named William Henry Williamson, committed suicide yesterday at Papanui. He tied a string to his foot, and fastening the other end to the trigger of a shotgun, blew his brains out. He was a married man, and resided in Bishop’s Hoad, off the Harewood Eoad, where he carried on the business of a farmer. Deceased was last seen alive by Ins wife about noon. He then asked about some seeds and went upstairs to look for them. Later he went outside, and a short time afterwards his wife heard the report of a gun. She immediately went out and called to her husband, but receiving no answer she wont into the shed, where she found him lying dead, shot through the head. Mrs Williamson states that she bad noticed nothing strange about her husband before the occurrence. He had, however, been in bad health for some time, and was occasionally low-spirited. He had lately sold his crop, and appeared to be worrying about it, as he thought it was a bad bargain. The police were communicated with, and Mounted-Constable Kelso went to the scene of the tragedy. The deceased was found lying in the stable close to the house. He was on his back, and the gun was at his right side. @ The skull had been completely shattered, and the brains were protruding. Attached to the right foot was a strina:, the other end of which was fastened to the trigger of the gun. The gun contained a recently discharged cartridge in the left barrel.