SENSATIONAL SUICIDE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10561, 16 September 1910, Page 4

SENSATIONAL SUICIDE.

EYIDENCK AT T'HIO INQUKST. • AN ABTMil"l' PROPOSAL. ' All iIK|UPSt touching tin' dcillll ol Arcliihaltl Wood, who shot himself on Hospital liili on Wednesday evening, was con duc tod hy .Mr T. Hutchison, district coroner, at tho Courthouse tliiss morning. Sergeant Stagpoole represented the police. Constable Creolman suit! that on Wed-' nesday night about 1(1.lo o'clock a man named William llyne came into the police station ami reported that a man had shot hinisoll. ilyne brought the revolver with liiin. It had been loaded in six chambers, anil one had been recently discharged. Witness went to Hospital .Hill and on io tin' Hospital. When lie got there the man was dying and unable to speak. *i esterday witness.saw the body in the morgue al the Hospital. The papers produced were found on the body. One was a discharge tor Lance-Corporal Archibald Wood. There were several testimonials and letters, and one particular letter addressed to Mis !■ lame, Reed street.

The letter to .Mrs I'Vaino was written 111 all au ail eel unia te tone. In it \\ nod complained that tie had been led on and disappointed in love, and his words disclosed his intention ui committing suicide. "Tile evening sun lor me has sol never to rise again." he wrote, inscribing himself "despised and heart-broken." JJr Alexander Douglas stated that, ai 5 minutes to Ml on Wednesday night he received an urgeni: summons to Hospital Hill. On reaching the end ot the Hospital Lane lie found a mall lying huddled up and unconscious. On examination witness found a bullet wound about three inches above the left ear and another in the same position <m the right .side ot the head. The latter was the wound of exit. Witness bound and dressed the wounds and had Wood removed to the Hospital. Witness and J)r. Scott did what they could for him. but he died at 11 o'clock. The cause of death was a revolver bullet wound. Charles Mimcey, boardinghoiisokeeper at Tees street, Oamaru, identified the body as that of a man mimed Wood, who had been stopping at his place. Deceased came to witness' place after-dinner on Tuesday and said he was going to stay till Friday. Witness thought he was a bit peculiar, but certainly not: from the effects of drink. Evidently Ik 1 had come from the south by the express. The last witness saw of him was about midday on Wednesday. Lizzie Frame said she was a widow, and a nurse in Ashburn Hall, Dnnedin. She came to Oamaru last. Friday on leave, and Has slaying with her sister, Mrs White. She knew Archibald Wood, having first met him at Ashburn Hall about two months ago. On Tuesday afternoon he came to Mrs White's and said lie wished to see witness. Alter having a cup of tea he went away. Witness noticed nothing peculiar in his manner, but he looked and complained of being ill. On Wednesday witness went out with Iter sister's children and Wood accompanied her. He returned to the house with her, and was by himself for a greater part of the time lying down, as he felt ill. About seven o'clock he had a conversation with witness. He showed Iter a letter offering him a situation in South Africa, at £1 a day, and asked her to marry him, and go with him in a fortnight. She .refused him.. His proposal was rather abrupt, as he had never been' making love to her. She had never him in any way, and had repeatedly told him that she did not intend to marry again. She thought now that he must have been a little affected, as he had told her of his father, mother, and sister having met their death hy accident one after the other. About twenty minutes past seven Wood said lie would go to the Hospital as he was not feeling well. She advised him to go and see Dr. Douglas, as he might not be admitted to the Hospital. ITe went out, and at 8.30 witness and her sister went to see if lie bad been admitted to the Hospital. They did not think anything was wrong with him mentally. When they got to Hospital Lane they mot Nurse lluiek, who told them that no one had been admitted to the Hospital, but that there was a young man lying on the grass further up the lane. The man was AYood, and witness went up to him, her sister going home. She helped hint to his feet, and he. complained of everything looking yellow. She tried to get him up to the Hospital. but he would not go more than n certain distance nor would he shilt hack to go home to his lodgings. lie told her to leave him and that he would be dead in two hours. As lie would not move witness went to fetch her brother-in-law, so as to get Wood inside .somewhere. She returned in a few minutes ■with Mr White and another man named Thos. Cox. When they came up witness said, "T have brought, my brother-in-law to talk sense to you." Mr White said, "Are you ill?" And deceased, moving a few paces, sat down on the grass, said "Good-bye all," and shot himself. It was done so quickly that witness did not see what happened. She heard the report and saw deceased fall forward. Mr Cox ran to his assistance, and witness ran to fetch Dr Douglas, who came quickly. Witness, never noticed that Wood had a revolver, but she. noticed when they were up on the hill that he put his hand behind as if to reach to his hip pocket. He evidently used the revolver with his left hand. She could not say when the letter addressed to her had been written. At Ashburn Hall deceased was very well respected. .

Thomas White told how.with Mr Cox he had been asked by Mrs Frame to go up the hill as there was a man lying up there. She wished them to persuade him to go to the Hospital. When they got to the top of the hill they saw Wood standing by the lamp-post. Mrs Frame called to him, "Archie, come here." Without, answering, he advanced a couple of steps towards them. Mrs Frame, called out, 'i'v(> brought someone to talk reason with you." Witness said, "Are you ill?" Again he did not answer, but sitting down said "Good-bye all," and shot himself. Witness helped to convey the body to the Hospital. No further evidence was called. The Coroner found that the cause of death was a gunshot wound in the head, self-inflicted, while in a state of temporary insanity.