TRAGEDY AT AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5668, 16 August 1905, Page 7

TRAGEDY AT AUCKLAND.

SUIC’IDF. AX I) AITK-M.PTI'/D MLRDLR. rII ESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND. August 15. A domestic tragedy ocxjunecl at Russell street. Arch Hill, bust night. .Join. Davis, aged thirty-live years, followed Ins '.vite to the. residence ol Mrs Alice Porter, where a j | lu-iml Ins v.iie ami t liapiiian luge. Ini. dr.-w a revolver and bred at Ins wile. The shot mise-d her, and tire man then fired a- Chapman, the bullet graw.lg ins stomach. He next 1111-110x1 the weapon on himself, shooting him-cll m I,lm ioreiiead, and clylng mstariianeuusJv ■ 'constable McCilp lu«l observed a man prowling around suspiciously, and followed him. Hearing shots in Um hnu.se. tho constable rushed in. Davis turned a revolver at him, hut did noi fir,., mimed. a.tely afterwards blowing out ills own brains. Tills IXQUICST.

An inquest was held at 2 o clock before Mr T. Gresham, Coroner. Dr Sluinuan stauxl that when ho airived at the house at about a quarterpast eight on Monday mglit, he imiiid deceased lying on the floor of til l back room, dead, ami bleeding Horn a wound in Hie loreiiead about one anti a nil indies square. Death had taken place a tew minutes bolero has arrival. illdiard Chapman, painter, <A Aycb Hilt declared that lie could not identity Davis as ite had never known inm .Sergeant Williams: ’‘Why, ho lived with him for some time!” The Coroner ordered witness to stand aside, Observing, ”1 shall know how to ileal with lum "ly-and-byo.” Constable .Met,lip said that last night at about eight o’clock several persons complained Lo him that a man, who turned out to be deceased, was prow 1iiic about at the back of sonic houses, •is" if soiTcliin o, for somebody boarding with Mrs AhS; Porter. Ho called on Mrs Porter, and she told him the man was John Davis, mid that ho was looki,m fur his wife, who was m her house. wTtness and Mr Murphy, a cabinetinakur, went to search for Davis, to susk liim wiiv lie was prowling about, they had not gone far before they hoard a shot. Meeting Chapman, ho asked what lie had been bring at. Witness then saw Davis on tho verandah wiu Mrs Porter. Davis pointed a revolt oi at witness, and then, turned the revolver to his forehead, and hrod. He dropped dead at once. Chapman was very reticent right through. He made the remark, Its a .mod thing he’s . gone, anyway (ramming Davis). Mrs Porter told witnes -Mrs Davis was going to leave that night. She also stated that on a former occasion deceased had taken Mrs I) ivis from a room where she and Campman were together. Four or five weeks ago witness asked Chapman about Davis ixonig to tlie house and taking his nite Sway, but Chapman refused to say anything. Annie Davis deposed that her husband was a steel expert. He came from Sheffield about four years ago. He failed in business in Auckland about five months ago, and they agreed to separate. He then went to Dunedin, and she took rooms at Mrs Porter s. Miont three weeks ago her husband returned, aud early one morning came with a revolver to where she was living, and told her to come with him. He took her to tho Central Hotel, and a few days afterwards they wont tobve with Mrs Scott in Queen street. While there her husband tried to cut her throat with a razor, but Mrs Scott prevented him. She th ®‘ l took rooms in Cook street- On Monday evening she went to Mrs Porters. Chapman and her husband were strangers. and there was no cause for ie do'nsy. Her husband had been carrying a revolver for some tune, and had threatened her life on many occasions Richard Chapman said ho did not know deceased. Davis had no reason to be jealous of him. , , The jury returned a veidiot that doteased committed suicide’whilst temporarily insane.