A SHOCKING FATALITY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17143, 27 December 1929, Page 6

A SHOCKING FATALITY

SLEEPWALKER'S FALL AUARAT (Vic), Dec. 12. A shocking tragedy occurred in the early hours of this morning, resulting in the "death of Mr. Rupert Clarke, town clerk of Ararat. Mr. Clarke's wife was away from Ararat in the Bendigo district at the time, on a. motor trip, and during ■ her absence Mr. Clarke was staying at the Turf Hotel, occupying a room on the third floor. Deceased retired to his room about midnight on Tuesday, alter conversing with Mr. R. Anderson, the assistant shire council secretory, stating that lie was going to study the municipal books for 'a time. Nothing further was known till about 5.30 this morning, when Mr. J. Start,, who is employed at the hotel, found Mr. Clarke lying iri his pyjamas in a pool-of blood on the asphalt road which runs alongside the hotel. It; was known that deceased walked in his sleep, and it is presumed that while in his sleep he got up out of bed, climbed through the window, and fell down oil to the roadway. Deceased lingered in an unconscious state till about 11 o'clock, when he died. The fatality has cast a gloom over tho town.