TRAGEDY IN DUNEDIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 5

TRAGEDY IN DUNEDIN.

SUICIDE OF MR; DONALD LARNACH.. . (By Telegraph.—i'ress Association.Duneclin, July la'.' Donald ■ Larnach, aged »2 years, elder son of tho late Hon. AY. J. M. Larnach, shot himself in his room at Watson's Hotel this morning. It is stated that .he was. financially pressed lately. When Jnss. Jauobsou (.one of tho' waitresses) took .him up his usual nine o'clock breakfast, he was very cheerful, and was reading a magazine story;. He. asked her to draw up the blinds, before she left, which she did. No one saw him alivo. after that, and no ; one.seems to havo. heard the shot. This .'points to tho conclusion that lie must have committed' tho act fairly late iii the morning after tho maids had finished doing the rooms on that flat. Mrs. Watson discovered the tvagcdy shortly after .mididay, when she entered his room, anticipating that ho ■would, have left it at that hour. . Tie was lying on his left side, grasping a five-chambered -revolver, and there was a small puncture iu the middle of the forehead. A letter shows that the idea of suicide had been in his mind. This letter runs; .."'I wish my remains to be taken out to sea,and dumped overboard. Failing this, place them in the family vault. On no account have prayers- read at my burial. '..'. . I want no. followers at my funeral." .. ' > / Then follow these verses: I have had my share of pastimes, And have done my share of toil, And life is , short—the longest life's a span; I caro not now to tarry for the corn or for the oil, Oi for the wine that makes glad the heart o.f man. For good undone or gifts unspent and resolutions' vain : 'Tis somewhat late to trouble, this 1 know— I'd live tho samo life over if 1 had to live again. ■ And the', chances are I go whore most men go. . Below is written "Good-bye," and then the signature has evidently been cut out, and under the ,cul strip, are those words:—"Written in lead pencil; vault koys are in my hat box." On the other side of tho sheet on which tho letter was written was found a short note iu pencil, apparently intended to be sent to his daughter in Oamaru. It read: "Three, three sleoposs nights; I am going mad; my darling girl in Sydney unprotected." (What follows is a private communication to his daughter.) • Deceased leaves three daughters, two of whom wfcre married.