SUICIDE IN HOPE STREET.

Otago Witness, Issue 972, 5 September 1889, Page 17

SUICIDE IN HOPE STREET.

Between 12 and 1 o'clock p.m. on Wednesday, Charles Roberts, a shopman, who has been in the employ of Mr Max Mendershausen ioc the past 17 years, committed suicide by shooting himself. The deceased was boarding with a Mrs Radcliffe, in Gore's terrace, Hope strqet, and went home yesterday at the uaaal hour for lunch. Mrs Radcliffe heard him come iv and go upstairs to the bath room. Shortly afterwards she thought she heard something fall, and as the deceased did not come downstairs again soon, she asked Mr Cole and Mr Mitchell, two of his fellow lodgers, to go up and see what was the matter. They went up accordingly, and found the bath room door locked. This they burst open and found deceased apparently dead, lying in a pool of blood, of which he appeared to have lost a great quantity. Dr Brown was immediately sent for, and on arrival mode a cursory examination of the body of deceased, fiudiiig life extinct. The doctor detected a smell of gunpowder, but having patients awaiting his return, left, and Dr Ogston proceeded to the scene. On his arrival it was found ffaut underneath Ifae body of deceased was a Colt's tangle-barn 1 pistol, discharged ; and on a close inspection a bullet wound was discovered at the back of the mouth of deceased, which points to the conclusion that the pistol must have been placed in the mouth and then fired. The bullet appears to have gone to the base of the brain, and death must have been almost iDsbantaneous. The policp on being communicated with, took poEsi-Fsion of f ha pistol and r ported the mattir to Mr Cunrcr Carcw, who bulds an ioqueat to-day. Dcc< . std, who was M 4 ' n ' rally respected, was a. prominent masou, ,md Wloifged to the Kilwinning Lodge.