SUICIDE IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 771, 10 December 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUICIDE IN AUCKLAND.

(united press association.) Auckland, December 6.

A young man named Theodore Beherns, only a few months in the Colony, blew out his brains with a pistol in a boardinghouse this morning, in a fit of depression, it is supposed. < Later. ,

The following are additional particulars of the suicide of Theodore Beherns, at Harbor View Lodginghouse :—The bullet entered the right temple and passed through the head, coming out at the left temple. The revolver with which the deed was committed was owned by deceased, who kept a large supply of cartridges in his box. Deceased had only been staying at the house for a few days past, and during that time nothing very strange was noticed in his behavior. He always appeared to be a most quiet, unassuming young mau. When the breakfast hour came one of the servants called the deceased in the usual way, but received no answer. Very little importance wis attached to this, as deceased was a very late riser. Shortly after breakfast Mrs Fletcher thought she heard a noise in deceased’s bedroom as if some one had fallen, accompanied by a stifled sound. On Mrs Fletcher remarking this several of the lodgers went to the room indicated.,and there saw deceased lying dead on the floor. Beherns had a revolver in his hand, and was in the position in which he was found by the police. The motive for the suicide is nob very dear. Deceased was not suffering from pecuniary embarrassment, as he had money fu the bank. His demeanor of late seemed in no way strange. With the arrival of the police came Mr Jackson, solicitor, Dr Girdler and Mr Cooper, a great friend and companion of the deceased. - The police lifted the body to a bed and searched for effects, finding a iarge quantity of wearing apparel and several letters, one of which was addressed to a Lady Vincent, in France, aud another, sealed, addressed to Mr Cooper, which was opened by him, and contained a kind of will. His prayer book he left to his sister, and his Bible to his mother. Mr Ray, who came out from England with deceased, saw him last night. He appeared all right then, and several friends saw him yesterday afternoon, when he was even jolly, and he appeared then to have nothing on his miad. The letter being opened, it was found to contain instructions for the disposal or money left by deceased at the bank, some £9O, to be divided amongst three friends —Messrs Ray, Claude Young, and W. Cooper, and it finished up by “ damning this confounded country.” That the sad affair was premeditated there is not the slightest doubt, as everything in his loom showed that, and the presence of the sealed letters is also conclusive proof. Deceased was a young mau, somewhere between 20 and 30 years of age, and was well connected, having been formerly an officer in the Royal Navy, where he performed some good service on the coast of Peru by rescuing a British Consul who had been imprisoned by the authorities. Deceased came to the Colony as a second-class passenger by the s.s. Ruapehu, and since his arrival ia the Colony he has visited the South Sea Islands. He also went to Waikato, where he worked for a time at forest-planting. He had just come to town a week ago. December 8. At the inquest on Theodore Behrens, who shot himself on Monday morning, the evidence showed that the deceased became very low-spirited after working on the Government relief works, and said he would leave the country at once. The verdict was temporary insanity.