DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 781, 6 April 1877, Page 3

DETERMINED SUICIDE.

The melancholy intelligence of the death, by drowning on Monday evening last, of Mr Frederick Kummich, of Alexandra, reached us on Tuesday morning, and the facts and circumstances surrounding the sad affair, so far ns we have been able to glean them are as follows : On Monday morning, up till about midday, deceased, who kept a tobacconist and fancy goods shop in Tarbort street, Alexandra, was noticed by many to be transacting business as usual; during the afternoon, however, he was missed, and it being an unusual occurrence for him to be away from home for any length of time together, a certain anxiety was felt and enquiries were at once set on foot. Constable M'Lood, who is stationed at Alexandra being referred to, went to deceased’s house, and entering by the back door found everything in order, but deceased was missing. As time passed on, the anxiety very generally extended, and though without the slightest grounds for so assuming, as deceased, when last seen, was apparently in his usual health, it was feared that all was not right, and steps were taken to organise a search. About G..'10 p.m , a Chinaman informed the constable that he had seen a man at the Bluff by the river’s edge. A party consisting of Messrs Finlay, Batch ffo, W. Robertson, and D. Cameron, together with the constable, immediately proceeded in the direction indicated, and after walking two miles they saw deceased on the brink of the river. Consulting a short time they cautiously approached deceased, wlio, immediately on noticing them, deliberately leaped into the current, which at the spot is both deep and rapid, and the body was quickly carried down with the stream, and seen no more As to attempt a rescue would have endangered the life of whoever attempted it, and no means of reaching the body being at hand the party retraced their steps homewards to convey the sad intelligence to their fellow townsmen, the which, as may be supposed, create 1 a great sensation. Deceased was a native of Marburg, Hessen Cassel, Germany, aged about 42 years, supposed to be single and without, any relatives jin the Colony, and had on, when last seen, a dark tweed suit, and a pair of white cricketing shoes. Deceased, who was amomgst the earliest arrivals on the Dimstan Goldlields, first established himself in Clyde, or what in the early days was known as the Dimstan, from whence he removed to Manulierikia, now known as Alexandra, where he remained till his death. Deceased was highly respected by all with whom ho came in cor . tact, and though not fortunate in amassing great wealth yet was always looked upon as being tolerably well off, the causes, therefore, for his determined act are beyond tho knowledge of any, as deceased left no evidence behind to throw tho slightest light <ux the matter.

[Sinje the above was in typo, we are informed that deceased had not been soon about his place of business at all on the Monday, but that the Oh’naman who eventually informed the Constable of deceased’s whereabouts had, from the other side of river, as also had several Europerns, seen deceased during nearly the whole of the day on the river beach, sometimes walking, other times running towards the water as if going to jump in, and that at last the Chinaman was sent into town to give information.]