Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11949, 25 April 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

On. April 15, Mr. J. Witherford, M.H.R. entertained the officers and men of the various naval corps of the Auckland Battalion in a very generous and thorough fashion. The officers were Mr. Witheford's guests to dinner at the Star Hotel, and they and some 250 members of the Devonport Submarine Mining Corps, the Auckland Navals and the Ponsonby Navals were afterwards his guests at the Opera House. A message was received from the Great Barrier, through Mr. S. Holden Howie's Pigeongram Agency on the &th of April, by Mr. Vincent E. Rice, secretary of the Board of Education, stating that the schoolmaster at Port Fitzroy, Mr. Richard E. Dowling, had committed suicide on the morning of the 7th inst., by cutting his throat with a razor. Mr. Dowling was a. married man, 44 years of age. He was certificated Dl, and entered the Board's service as itinerant, teacher at Port Fitzroy in March, 1901. He. had previously been teaching in the Nelson and Taranaki districts. His teaching experience had extended over a period of 22 years. Mrs. Howling resides at New Plymouth, and a letter to her written by Mr. Dowling was found, which rati as follows: — "Dear Mary,l can't stand it any longer. Am mad, and have been for some time. I'm aorry for you and the children." The paper , wan unsigned. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of suicide while tempo.wily. mum.