Aocidents, Inquests, &c.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5617, 13 May 1886, Page 1

Aocidents, Inquests, &c.

SUICIDE— A SAD AFFAIR. A sad case, of suicide occurred last evening- in Allen street, off Manchester street ; South. Neal Cunningham, a carpenter, , 65 years of age, had been suffering from dropsy, and had left the Hoßpital last r Tuesday to reside with, his family. His ! ailmentj worried his mind, and appears to : have partially unhinged it. Testerdayafter--1 noon he shook hands with his eldest son, ; a young man, and told him he was going |to die ; but considering the nervous state • his father was in, the son did not attach ' much importance to this remark. Between 6 and 6 p.m. another of deceased's sons, a j boy of 14j saw him take an old sixchambered revolver from a box and carry it upstairs to his room. The eldest son was away in the evening, and when Miss Maria Cunningham came home, the boy told her of the occurrence. She taxed de- ! ceased with taking the revolver, but he denied it. While she was out in the yard she heard a report upstairs, and becoming ' alarmed sent for the police. Sergeant Wilson, accompanied by Constable Lewis, went } to the house, and on entering deceased's room, they found him lying on the bed. . He was quite dead, and in nis right hand grasped a revolver, the muzzle of which was in his mouth, while the bedding was soaked and the floor almost flooded with j the blood which had flowed from his selfinflicted wound. On v examining the rej volver an empty cartridge was found in one ! chamber, which had evidently been recently discharged. The other chambers I were not loaded. There wa3 no external wound, the bullet having apparently lodged in the back of the head or neck. ; Dr Frins had visited the deceased on Tuesday, and his family had thought he was - recovering from his illness, as he had not . lately appeared so low-spirited as formerly. An inquest will be held t<j-day. I Inspector Pender received a telegram yesterday from Botheram, in the Waiau ; district, stating that Robert M'Bride, ! a storekeeper there, had died that morn- , ing, after a short illneßS. No doctor ; had attended the deceased before his death, ; and a constable has been despatched to ! make enquiries.