A BOY FOUND HANGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13926, 7 December 1908, Page 6

A BOY FOUND HANGED.

On the afternoon of the Ist hist. Claude Alexander Doyle, a schoolboy of 13, was found by his brother hanging in a lavatory at their home in Princes-street, Sydney. Claude Doyle 1 lived with his mother, Mrs. Kathleen Doyle, a widow. * There are several others in the family. , He was •■ a clever boy, and studious, but of a nervous disposition. '.: He , was one of , the BadenPowell boy scouts. Part of a scout's training consists in practising making knots, and in knotting and lassooing he spent a great deal of his spare time. y On Sunday morning last he was busy • about the house " and back yard, 1 amusing himself with his rope, and singing while he played. At about five minutes past four his brother Michael saw him, in the best of spirits. . Ten minutes later another brother, Raymond, a young man of 20, found him in the lavatory, dead. ■ One end of the rope be had been using was wound : for a couple of turns about the watertap of the cistern, near the roof. The other end had been formed into a running noose, held with a single knot, and this was 'drawn tight under his chin and behind 'his ears.. His head was against the door, not far from the ground, his body bent, and his feet resting on the floor. • " s "

DESTROYED BY LIGHTNING. . During a severe storm at Narrabri (N.S.-» travelling tank-sinker sustained a serious loss of property. He camped four miles from town, and the fury of the thunderstorm forced him and his son to seek the shelter of an adjacent wine shop for the night, leaving at the camp .two drays loaded with ploughs/: scoops, . and other machinery, cooking utensils, etc. Returning to the camp next morning, all that remained of the belongings was the iron work of the drays and ploughs." It is assumed that the property was fired by lightning.,

BROTHER AND SISTER DROWNED. A I sad fatality took place at Plenty (Tasmania) on Tuesday last: A.Mrs. Watkins and three children, aged respectively 7, 12, and 19, who were " travelling,", encamped on the banks of Plenty River. About halfpast- three o'clock the children went to th« river to bathe. The boy Jesse,-aged 12, slipped off the rocks into the deep water.' Louisa, his sister, aged 19, rushed to the rocks to try and save him. She overbalanced, and fell into the pool. Both for a few moments tried to keep afloat, and then sank together, and did not rise again. The youngest child gave the alarm, and some of the neighbours came to render help, but it was too late.

"UNWRITTEN LAW" IN TASMANIA.

William Sutcliffe was committed for trial at Hobart on Tuesday last on a charge of shooting * William Omay with intent, at Bellerive, on November 16. Prosecutor, who is not yet discharged from the hospital, said that as he rode past Sutcliffe's place on the afternoon of the 16th the tatter shook his fist, and threatened him. On returning Sutcliffe appeared in the bush, 30yds .away, and deliberately fired at him. Prosecutor admitted that he had been "carrying on" with Mrs. Sutcliffe for veal's, and that the police had warned him that his conduct'was making Sutcliffe dangerous. He also admitted that Sideline's boys had chased and stoned him for speaking to their mother. Bail was allowed.