SUICIDE IN THE AUCKLAND CLUB.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1581, 10 June 1887, Page 2

SUICIDE IN THE AUCKLAND CLUB.

I ' . ' Auckland, June 9. Mr Frederick Aloxander Whitaker, formerly memfcer for Wa'pa, committed suicide this evening about ha'f-ppst five o'clock m the Auckland Olub. He shot himself through the head with a revolver m the board room. He had been m a despondent state for several days. Later. It appears that a man named Chapman was walking through the passage at the Olub when he heard a pistol shot m the I board room, and looking through an open I ing saw that someone. had fLjd. He immediately gave an alarm, and ran into the room accompanied by Jones, a waiter. Mr Whitaker was alone m the room, and he had evidently sat down m a chair, leaned forward on the table and placed the pistol to his head. The bullet had penetrated the upper part of the forehead, going partially thro-gh the brain and cracking the bone of the skull at the back, but did not emerge. I)r Hooper was at once summoned whilst Dr fcLrnea was also soon m attendance, . but no medical aid could, of course, be of avail. Mr Whitaker was not dead when discovered, but sank rapidly, and died about forty minutes after firing the shot, without having uttered a word or X cognising his brothers, who were present.

For some time past deceased had been m a despondent Btate over pecuniary troubles, having recently enter- d into speculations which had not turned out well. Some of those who saw him lately Saw that he appeared absent and wandering, and talked inconsequentially. The pistol with which the suicide was done was a six-chambered one, fully loaded. Mr Whitaker leaves a widow, a daughter of Mr Alfred Cox, and three ch'ldren. The news of the suicide hai caused profound sedation.

[The deceaeel gentleman was a son of Sir Frederick Wbitak r, and was a com* paratively young man. Dur ng the time that he was m the Bouse he showed himself a threwd, hard-working member, who spoko to the point, and was always listened to with attention.]