Local Topics.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1016, 7 October 1881, Page 3

Local Topics.

SUICIDE AT ALBERT TOWN.

(Communicated ) Last Sunday tho good people of Albert Town wore startled by tho news that a man named John Price had terminated his existence by casting himself into the Chitlin River. From particulars to hand, I glean that tho deceased—of late ho had been working on Norman’s farm at Mt. Barker—had been staying at Norman’s hotel in this town ; that on Sunday evening, at about 11 o’clock, ho suddenly left tho hotel in his night-shirt, and, after knocking at tho window of Robert and William Norman’s room, and saying, “Good-bye! this is the last of Jack Price!” ran to the river bank, and on reaching it deliberately jumped into the Olutha. No particular reason can be assigned for the deed, unless it be that he was deeply involved in debt both in this and in the St. Bathaus’ district, where deceased resided before coming here. Deceased was a man of temperate habits, and so far as I can learn he left no paper to show that the rash act was a premeditated one. The police have searched the banks of tho Olutha for a considerable distance below Albert Town, but the body has not as yet (Wednesday) been found. Later. Mr H. W. Ifinlaysaw deceased jump into the river, but was unable to prevent the deed (not being near enough), or to save tho body. Price was well known here as one of the original prospectors of the Long Valley (or Panama rush), Hawea, last year.