A ST. CLAIR SENSATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2556, 11 March 1903, Page 56

A ST. CLAIR SENSATION.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF MR J. R.. THORNTON.

Legal and commercial circles received quite a shock on Friday morning when it became known that Mr J. B>. Thornton, solicitor, had attempted to take his own life on the St. Clair Beach. It appears that Mr Thornton was discovered on the beach' in an unconscious state shortly after 7 o'clock by. Mr K. B. Garratt, a visitor to the city, who, in company with two lady. . friends, was taking an early morning walk along the beach at the time. One of the ladies just saw him, but the distance was so great. that she thought the object which had caught her eye was a log which had been 1 washed up by the tide! On approaching it, however, the party were -shocked to ' find a respectably-dressed gentleman /to his black; bleeding from a wound in sine forehead^ with a small rifle in his hand?., From movements of the body, they could see^thafc Tie was alive, and Mr Garratt ran for Constable Mulholiand, who recognised; Mr Thornton, and had him removed on . a, stretcher to the Metropole Hotel. Dr Coughtrey was at the came time -summoned', and he promptly proceeded to the scene of the accident, where, having attended to the injuries with some materials 'he had brought with him, he stood by the sufferer ,and had him conveyed by the St. Johns Ambulance stretcher to the Metropole Hotel, to await meanwhile the ambulance waggon, which the doctor had already summoned. On the arrival of that conveyance he had Mr Thornton placed in it and conveyed to the Dunedin Hospital. The value of the work done by the St. John Ambulance Association was exemplified by the fact that that institution had placed a stretcher ab the Metropole Hotel, and it came in very, useful. Mr Fitzgerald, a visitor at the hotel, also lent assistance with an ambulance basket. '

Examination at the Hospital disclosed that the wound was a serious one, the bullet having passed into the brain above the nose. Though it was not in the most' vital portion of the brain, Mr Thornton remained unconscious all day, and towards the . evening appeared to be sinking. From the first no hope was held out of his recovery, and he died at 5 a.m. on. Saturday."

Mr Thornton had been in somewhat in* different health for the past week or two-., It is understood he had come legal worries, which preyed on his mind a good deal. An inquest concerning the circumstances surrounding the death was held at 11 o'clock on Saturday. Mr O. C. Graham, coroner, presided over the proceedings, and Mr 1 John Duthie was chosen foreman of the jury of cix gentlemen called together to* hear the evidence. After the evidence had been heard, the jury were left to confer together, and at the end of a few minutes returned a verdict that deceased came to his death by a shot froai a rifle, but there was nofc sufficient evidence to show in what way.