SENSATIONAL SHOOTING AFFAIR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8528, 5 September 1907, Page 5

SENSATIONAL SHOOTING AFFAIR.

A YQIiLMG WOMAN SHOT. MAN ATTEMPTS SUICIDE. By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERGARGILL, September 4. A sensational shooting case occurred at Nightcaps at .11 o'clock last night, when Henry Reid, a miner, 22 years of a,g.e, from Tasmania, is alleged to have shot Lydia Gibbon, aged 22 years, with whose parents he lodged. Reid then attempted to commit suicide. Reid had heen paying attentions to Miss Gibbon, who discouraged him, as she was engaged to another m an. The two sat talking in the kitchen and after all had retired shots were heard. The girl was found lying in a pool of blood wiith a bullet wound in her head. Read was discovered down a well with a bullet wound in his palate. Both are in a critical condition.

LATER PARTICULARS. By Telegraph—Press Association. INVERCARGILL, September 4. Later particulars show that Reid is a Tasmanian, and came to live at Nightcaps seven or eight months ago. He lodged with Mrs Gibbon nearly the whole of that period, aind it seems that he fell in love with Miss Lydia Gibbon, 22 years of age. She, however, did not encourage his attention-;, being engaged to another, a flaxmiller, in the district. About a month previous to Tuesday night's occurrence she told Reid finally how she was placed, and that she could not and would not have anything to do with him. Reid had been working in the mine till 8 o'clock, and then came homeanu dressed. He went to receive his pay at about 9 o'clock, and returned at 10 o'clock. One cf Miss Gibbon's sisters, about 14 years of age, gave him his supper, and a few minutes later Lydia Gibbon herself came in. Her sister retired, leaving the two alone, the rest of the family being in bed. The only sour.d audible in the house was the quiet talking of the man and the girl in the kitchen. Not long after 11 o'clock F. Gibbon, who is a carpenter, was startled by hearing two shots fired in quick succession, and another apparently muffled a few minutes later. At first it did not strike him that the sound was from a firearm and concluded that it was the banging of a door, but presently he heard groans, and rose to find out the cause. Hearing nothing more he returned to his room, thinking that groans came from some of the younger members of the family, who were suffering from whooping cough. It was not until J. Foster, a miner, who slept in an adjoining room, awoke him, that he became alarmed. Foster cried, "Whatever is the matter?" and both rrei got up without delay. There were lights burning in both the dining-room and kitchen, and on opening the door leading outside from the kitchen they stumbled across the prostrate body of Miss Gibbon, lying in a pool of blood. The two men carried the girl into the house, and Dr. Baird and the police were at once summoned. The young woman's face was blackened with the smoke from the powder, and a bullet wound was seen just over the right eye. She was quite unconscious. About a chain away from the house, in an adjoining section, is a well about 25 feet deep, holding four or five feet of water. Here Reid was found groaning and clutching a rope. Gibbon went down the rope, and the swooning man was hauled up. He was all but unconscious, having shot himself through the palate. This morning both the sufferers were taken to Riverton Hospital. The doctor reports that both cases are very serious. Reid is shot- through the palate, and the bullet has lodged in an inaccessible place at the base of the brain. The condition of Miss Gibbon is, if anything, more serious. She was also "hot in the thigh. The doctor 'holds out little hope of recovery in either case. So far neither have Been able to speak. A packet of strychnine, purchased from an Invercargill chemist, was found in one of Reid's pockets. M»ss Gibbon was at one time an attendant at the Seacliff Asylum. LATER. The lat Q st news from Nightcaps is to the effect that there is a chmc3 of the recovery of both Reid anu Miss Gibbon. Miss Gibbon was able to say "No, thank you," when asked if she wanted a drink of water. It is stated that if she survives she will not !o?e the sight of the left eye under which the bullet entered.