SHOCKING SUICIDE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1172, 1 May 1872, Page 2

SHOCKING SUICIDE.

[ballaeax cotjbier, april 35.] f '.•'-•'lt-is onrpainfnl : dutyt6 record a most deter m inexact of self-destruction on the . part of. an old Ballarat resident— Simon Dempster, plumber and gasfitter — who committed suicide on Saturday night, at Morgan's, Fire, Brigade : Hotel, in Ball&irat ilast, Deceased, who was well > kiown' 1 .aniUrespectecU here r had -been-Jivirig' in Melbourne^ f^r : , some , time prcrt, and arrived in Bdllarat at Easier, since . whicji ! time h,e had beep making, negotiations for ; re-entering business. ' during hhe firsii,week of his stay here he appeared '■: to be iri> his usifal health and 'spirits; excapt; that he was sufferiug from the effects of an attack of> paralysis, which had affected his speech, arid the use of his right, arm. Dnriiig tlielast day or- two a change-had--come over him, and he-at times tpjbe.(lesponj[enrt, and <very quiet and re-, served in his manner. On Saturday morning he was unusuaUylate>in rising, aud complained to Mr Morgan^ that he did hot feel quite well,' but in answer to Mr Morgan'sinquiry said that matters in regard, to his starting again in his old ;place of business were going on all right./ He .remained; in the hotel, during the afternoon,-, and amongst •..-. other topics spoke of his daughter and' this wife.' He' then- went out about -dusk, -and froni what we r .cat). gather :of his movements* hie called apon a friend in Greenville street, with whom he conversed for spine time.; had 1 .. a drink -with him : at the * Market * HoteJ, and then went _to Mr. Mu'mbyV, tlie gunsmith," and 'procured a ibullet •mould, some bullets, a flask of pqwderj and some caps, remarking that ho Had a customer for. his revolver, and >he wished to make ..the -thing- complete before soiling it-. He shook hands with Mr Muniby at

parting, and then made his way home. 'When there he drank a glass of brandy and Rafter, played with Morgan's child, chatted <cheerf nlly for a few minutes, took a -candle, and went to. his room at a little after nine o'clock. He did not go to bed, but remained hammering and working in his room, until Mrs Morgan became ■fiaggffiy :~-W tM^ofs'e^'aaniffaid that he would, set the house on fire^ or do some damage with the ; lighted v candle. At 11 o'clock, when her husband. came in, Mrs 'Morgan' told "KiSrfieTTgarsV^nd wished • him to . go to the room and see what was going on. He had just pooh-poohed the. idea of there being anything wrong, when the repoft]of aj|pistol was' heard, and Mr Morgatikjpfch^a^ 'up, and finding the bedroom \3oor "locked, burst it open. The room was full of smoke. : Deceased waa in bed, undressed, and covered -Kyi the bedclothes. His arms were extended, and on the floor, at his right hand,' lay aTevolver. He was alive, and moaned once or twice, but could not reply to Mr Morgan, who asked hini what he haddpnei 'Mr Morgan turned down the bedclothes, 4 ; aid seeing thaV HeceaSed had shot hiihself through the heart, rushed away for 'ih'e- police. "Senior-constable Kilfeddei; 'went at once >■ to the spot, and found jfch'afr the "deceased was jrist alive, 1 but h?d ; died 1 in about a minute after the constable "•' arrived. Amongst deceased's, effects were -a portrait'of himself and. a w6tiiiu (not his wife) ; ~a letter 'from a 'friend* in. Melbourne, received three day^ befqre, which stated' that she had called several times, ,and wanted to kiibw where he , had gone, "' so.he had better look -out; and a diary in which were particulars of the 'doings of • his wife, and the names of several peraons who had been fieen in 'her company at strange times and places— evidently compiled, with a view of obtaining a divorce. It is supposed that a variety of can'ses led to the commission of the rash .but deliberate act— the misconduct of, his wife, from, whom he has been separated, for some years, being the primary cause,, But from what we can gather, deceased was scarcely in his right mind -at the time of the suicide, his reason .being; affected by a succession of misfortunesv -