The Suicide at Birmingham.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 103, 28 October 1896, Page 2

The Suicide at Birmingham.

An inquest was held yesterday at the residence of Mr R, Burne, Fowlers, on the body of Karl Emil Pandrup, who shot himself on Sunday evening, before Mr Jas. Linton, coroner, and the following jury :— Messrs W. Morton (foreman), H. Holland, F. Barlow, J. Pawelka, S. T. Gee, G. Gibb. Dr P. Mus*en deposed to knowing the deceased, examined the body ; he died from a gun shot wound in the head, the skull being shattered and the brains being blown oat ; from the position of the body and the gun, on the trigger of which a boot lace was tied, and the ballet hole through the roof, had no doubt but the wound was self inflicted; the lace attached to the trigger was, also, tied to a wash stand ; last saw deceased alive on Thursday, the 22nd instant, when he (witness) was called in to see him; found deceased in a despondent state ; gaye him seme medicine to correct a headache ; deceased said he bad a bad headache and didn't care for anything. To the foreman : Did not think deceased was responsible for bis actions when witness last saw him. R. Burne deposed : Was a settler residing at Birmingham ; have known deceased about twelve years ; be was a neighbour of witness' ; was always on friendly terms with him ; about two years ago deceased had a despondent turn and witness sent him to a doctor ; that illness only lasted a few weeks ; about a fortnight ago deceased complained of lumbago, bat was not confined to his bed; on Tuesday, the 20th instant deceased came to witness place and spent part of the evening ; he was all right then ; on the following Wednesday deceased went to the opening of the bridge with witness ; on the way down noticed a peculiarity in him ; on that evening deceased had tea with witness ; on the following morning went over to his houße and got him to come to witness' place for breakfast; noticed in the morning that deceased was talking at random ; went for Dr Mussen to come and see him ; deceased bad bis meals regularly at witness' place from this till Sunday evening, when he went away at about 6.30 to change bis clothes for church; this was the last time witness saw him alive ; on Monday morning between 6.30 and 7 o'clock went to deceased's house ; knocked and sang oat, but receiving no answer looked into the bedroom through the window, and saw he was not in bed ; then looked at the kitchen window and saw what he believed to be brains scat-, tered over it ; looked through the window and saw deceased lying dead ; sent a wire to the police at Feilding and a constable arrived at about 2. p.m., when the door of the house was forced open ; deceased was lying in the kitchen on his right side, the head turned to wards the fireplace and a double barrelled muzzle- loading gun lying under him, the muzzle pointing towards the window ; one of the barrels seemed to have been recently discharged and the trigger half cocked, which went to show tbat tne gun bad been heavily charged ; the right ear was powder marked ; had no doubt but deceased shot himself ; was present when the house was searched by the police ; was present when the will produced was found in a small cash box, the will was in favor of Ludvig Peter Chnstensen, a half brotber of deceased, who now resided in Sydney ; was present when the receipts produced showing deceased's life was insured in the Colonial Mutual office for £loo were found; was present when the bank book (showing a credit balance of £65), the cheque book on the Bank of Australasia, and 2s in cash were found ; deceased had a farm of 187 acres, on which there were about 400 grown sheep, two cows, and three horses ; deceased was a Dane and about forty-five years of age; the bullet was traceable through the ceiling and roof; never knew deceased to have any enemies, or to threaten to destroy himself. Henry Bmne deposed : Was a settler residing at Apiti; knew deceased. (Corroborated the evidence given by previous witness.) Constable Tuohy produced the will, bank book, and insurance receipts referred to by Mr Burne ; bad examined the room in which the body was found, and corroborated the evidence given by previous witnesses. The jnry returned a verdict that decsased shot himself wbilo of unsound mind. mmmmtmmmmmmmmmmmmmm