SHOT IN CHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14933, 5 March 1912, Page 8

SHOT IN CHURCH.

•MIDNIGHT LONDON TRAGEDY* [FROM OCR OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] London, January 26. A suicide carried out in dramatio circumstances occurred at Wednesday midnight in tho Hampstead Road Congregational Church, an alien convict, named Paul Stubner, shooting himself dead in order to escape arrost. A passing policeman noticed a light in the church parlour, and on making investigations ho discovered a man in the building. Tho constable summoned assistance, but before the other officers arrived a shot was heard inside tho church. The police rushed into the building, using their lighted lanterns, but saw nothing until on going further into the church they found the body of a man lying on the floor in the first pew, a few foot from the communion-table- They brought it into the open space in front of the table, and made a hasty examination. It was at once iseen that the man was dead, a bullet wound over the heart indicating the cause of death. Tho man had undone his coat and waistcoat, carefully laid himself on his back, and shot himself through the heart with a revolver. ■-.-.< It transpired at tho inquest, which resulted in a verdict of felo d© se, that the deceased had lately been employed &i porter at the AustrianEinbassy, and his pocket contamed a Customs pass issued to the Austrian Ambassador, which had been missed from tho Embassy. Detective-Sergeant Briggs said tho real name of the deceased was Paul Gustav btubner, and ho was a Gorman. He last saw deceased on May 26, 1911, when he handed him over to the German police at St. Katharine's Dock. There was an extra-; dition provisional warrant, accusing him of larceny at Wiesbaden. He'was taken in custody and sentenced, but escaped from prison. The Rev. F. Hastings, pastor of the church and chairman of the London Congregational Union, said that nothing in tho building had been touched. If the man thought he was going to get at the plate he had not suciceoded, nor was there any sign that he had 1 made any attempt in that direction. Some time ago a Russian countess and. a Gorman wero married in tho church by special licence, and he (Mr. Hastings) wondered at first whether the man had been attempting to get at that document. But tho safe had not been tampered with.