SEQUEL TO A QUARREL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15828, 29 July 1913, Page 5

SEQUEL TO A QUARREL

TRAGEDY IN INVERCARGILL.

YOUNG MAN SHOOTS HIMSELF.

Apparently a? 'ho result of an emotional excitement rca< .in a quarrel with a girl supposed to bo us sweetheart, which took place in a house in Esk street, Invercargill, yesterday afternoon, a young man named Jolm Cook, aged 23, committed stiioido by shooting himself. ' The Jpos; a« staked by the police (says the Southland Times) are that Cook was _»■ friend of a man named Frederick James Moss, and both were employees of the Government Railway Workshops. Mo9s occupied a cottage which fronts on to Esk street, above the Zealandia Hall, and the deceased lived in a house at the rear of it, and reached his home by means of a narrow right-of-way which ran down the side of Moss's house. About 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon Moss 6aw Cook with a young lady, with whom he was supposed to have been keeping company,"and another girl, a friend of Cook's sweetheart, talking together in front of his house. They were evidently quarrelling, ami in order to avoid a scene in the street Moss asked them to - come inside and have it out. This_ they agreed to do, and when they were inside ; Moss left them. Shortly afterwards Cook left the house and went over to his own place, returning to Moss's place at once. He had only returned a few minutes when the two girls rushed out screaming: "He has shot himself."

Moss went into tie house and found Cook lying across a bieyclo with a bullet wound in the right temple. A revolver lay ■on the floor at his feet. . Dr Pottinger was hastily summoned, and he ordered the removal of deceased to tho hospital. Cook lived only a short time after his admission to the institution, and passed away about 6 p.m.

(Per United.Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, July 28. An inquest concerning tho death of Cook was hold to-day by the coroner (Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M.). From tho evidence adduced it appears that Cook' had been on friendly terms with two girls named Irene Tumor and LottyCosgrove. Ho met them on Sunday afternoon at tho house of Frederick James Moss. There wag a discussion as to i which girl Cook preferred, and as Cosgrove informed Turner that 6he loved Cook, she (Turner) told the man to go to the girl who loved him. Cook, however, declared his preforenco for Miss Turner, and tried to put his arm round hor and kiss her. She waved him off; and Cook then told her, " It's you or no one," and produced a revolver and pointed it at her. Turner grabbed both his hands and pushed the revolver away. He\ threatened to "do for" her, but she saifi that she would come back to him. Cook then said that it was too late,, and putting tho revolver to his head, ho fired and fell.

Lcngthv evidence was given corroboration of this ncoount, and a verdict was returned that tho deceased committed euicido whilo of unsound mind.