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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1088, 7 August 1871, Page 2

A Building and Investment Society has been started at the Thames under very favorable auspices. Materials for romance (says the Smytbesdale Advocate) are supplied in this district. Some years ago a family resided in Symthesdale which included two sons, and about three or four years ago their mother died, and left to each the sum of <£Boo. One son speculated heavily in mining, and lost, getting his brother to indorse a promissory note for a heavy amount. The speculative brother, instead of retrieving his losses, lost the proceeds of the bill also; but before the bill arrived at maturity he lost his life while working in a claim. The other brother was engaged to a young lady, and the day for their union was settled upon; but in the interim the bill to the deceased brother was dishonored, and the hulders pounced on the intended bridegroom, and his all was swallowed up to meet the demand. He had not the courage to state his altered position to his intended, and the generally happy day arrived, and he still kept the bride ignorant of the change in his position, and preparations went on for the coming ceremony. Whilst this went on at the residence of the bride, the bridegroom visited a chemist and obtained a quantity of strychnine, a portion of which he swallowed, and then proceeded to the house of his intended ; but instead of having taken enough to make him sick, he had taken an overdose, and on his reaching the door of her parents' residence he dropped down, and was soon carried in, the incident creating alarm and confusion. A medical man was called in, to whom the facts were given, but on condition 1 of, not informing the inteuded bride. In three hours he was dead.