A SINGULAR SUICIDE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 630, 28 July 1882, Page 2

A SINGULAR SUICIDE.

The following nre the particulars cf Hie suicide of Captain Johnston, of Kaglan. He had I'eon accustomed to reside ir> ; a small cottage some -distance away from his main resilience, and on the evening of Thursday last he proceded-.there as usual. Before leaving the house, however, he kissed all the children with the exception of a favourite pon, for whom he left a message asking him to follow up to the cottnge. According to the statement which the deceased wrote some time before his death, it would appear that he. had intended to take his life on .that..evening but was prevented from the accomplishment of his purpose then by the late arrival of a son, who stayed in the cottage all night. Early next morning the lad went away at the request of his father for the purpose of getting soma firewood, and after pro-

ceeding a short distance the lad was astonished to hear the report of a gun proceeding from the cottage. Retracing his steps as quickly as possible with the object of ascertaining the cause ho found his father lying on the floor of the cottage. A shot gun lay beside him on the floor, and it was quite evident from the appoaranceof the body that Captain Johnston had taken his own life by shooting himself through the h- art. Death was instantaneous. Hastily extinguishing the ignited garments the youth ran. across to a house le inform the inmates of the distressing occurrence. The following obituary notico was written by the deceased prior to hia death, and forwarded under cover to the Press ;—" News has come to hand of the death on the 20tb July, suddenly, at Te Haurota, of Captain John Campbell Johnston, formerly commandant of ihe 20th Regiment, Punjaub Infantry. He left instructions that his body might, if possible, be burned, and that his family would not go into mourning."