SUICIDE AT KAIKOHE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7007, 2 May 1884, Page 5

SUICIDE AT KAIKOHE.

A Maori named Hami Hohipa Tupara, residing in the township of Kaikohe, committed suicide by a gun-shot wound on the 20th April. The cause assigned for this sad act was a trifling dispute with his wife. He was a yonng married man of about twentyone, with one child. On the evidence before the coroner at the inquest, his father stated that he was a man of ungovernable temper, and on a previous occasion he had taken a knife from him, swearing that he would stab himself. Dr. Watling was called in shortly after the occurrence, but found that life was extinot. The ball having gone through the heart, death must; have been instantaneous. On the following day an inquest was held by Dr. Watling, who is also the coroner for the district. There were a jury of eight Maoris and six Europeans, a native chief being chosen as foreman. Nothing came out on the evidence beyond what is stated above except the particulars of the fatal act, from which it appeared that he left his own house after breakfast, and proceeded to an empty where belonging to a friend of his, where he must have known there wa» a gun. Whether it was left loaded or not does not appear. This whare was abont a hundred yards from where be had left his wife, and not far from other whares. His wife hearine the report of a gun, ran out with other natives around, and went in the direction whence the report came. When close to this whare, in some scrub near, they fonh'd the body of deceased quite dead. When they roaohed him, the butt end of the gun was fastened to the ground, and it was supposed he had struck the trigger with his foot.. Dr. Caldwell of Kawakawa, in evidence stated that on Sun Hay afternoon he was called in when passing to see the deceased, and from hie inspection of the wound, he had no doubt that the patsage of the ball had an upward tendenoy, as if the gun stock had been so fixed on the ground as stated in evidence. The Coroner briefly summed up the evidence, and the jury found accordingly that the fatal act was committed during the temporary insanity of the unfortunate man. There was no evidence to showthat there was any reason to suppose drink or any intemperance had caused the dispute. [Own Correspondent, April 20.] , ■t.