Life has no more Charm

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 September 1910, Page 4

Life has no more Charm

A FATAL BULLET.

* " Life," said a letter from the hand of Alexander Henry Krause, "has no more charm for me." The sequel was suicide. The deceased was a man of sixty-six, who had been boarding at the Shamrock Hotel, Molesworth street, for some months. He was a native of Germany, but a naturalised British subject. At an inquest, conducted bv Mr W. R. Haseldcn, S.M., Rosina Knight, a domestic servant employed at the Shamrock Hotel, stated in evidence that she last saw the deceased alive at (half-past ten on Tuesday morning. He was temperate, and never drank to excess. She

wont into his room as usual at about a quarter-past ten yesterday morning, and saw him lying across the bed fully dressed. He was on his back, and his feet were oti the floor. She wont and looked at him, and turned away, thinking he ibad fainted. She took another look, and. saw a revolver in his hand, and noticed that he was quite dead. Tin

weapon was gripped by the left hand. Witness called Mrs Cooper, the licensee, who did not go up, but called the porter, Thomas Adams, to K«>-

The porter, Thomas Adams, stated in his evidence that ho had onlj been at the hotel three weeks, and during that timo had noticed, mannerisms and actions about deceased which led him to form the conclusion that he was "peculiar." He looked very worried indeed, and complained that he did not feel wel. internally. That morning witness missed deceased's boots from outsick his bedroom door. When called by ■>irs Coopeir, witness wont into the •bedroom, and found the deceased stiff and cold, with a revolver clutched tkhtly in his left hand. Constable C. J. Stevens said that he saw deceased crossing Molesworth street at about nine o'clock on Tuesday night with a letter in his mind, apparently to post it in a pillar-box. Deceased was a temperato man. When searching th< body witness found in a letter case a letter. Portion oi the body was warm when he first saw it and be thought death had resulted about tour or sixhours previouslv. There ■was a bullet-hole through the clothing m the front portion of the body and the missile probably entered the heairt.

THo letter referred to by Constable Stevens was dated September 5, and contained allegation of misconduct towards him | )V some people unnamed and also' allegations that someone had misappropriated property of his wife's. Those matters he said, distressed him. Omitting that portion, the letter /read: lo whom it may concern.—There is no doubt the sudden unexpected demise of my life-partner has caused my intellect to receive a severe lasting strain I became painfulh aware of this fact. Lurid moment •became less and mental strain oppressive. I have fought against it and sought the aid of medical help during my semi-lucid moments. I was refused. . . . There is money coming to me from ami U)., which please to collect-all -Jewellery and cash kindly cause to be forwarded to my cousin. Ed. Krause Ha.nsport, Saxony Kindly respect ». .Ind.y and deduct expenses to. burial from cash left. There s v i Inch I /orgive May God forgive me and those who are so ,rapae7ou «nd avnracious have partlv I™, the cause of my rash deed' ms no more charm for me. T haw »"*n very ,11 lately, and found little ympabhy and.l have suffered much f>'.m perfidious pcoplo . x I have caused anyone trouble. (Sign. «u a. a. Arause. pie following was pencilled neai and U«nesda.v: J have been very ill .Thursday: T teel verv weak more and. morelS: tolerable for me. I -have snent fIV. day mostly at the ceirXvT tht It was stated at the inrmest that deceased was once employed in in "orking for six months. His vif diet twelve months a*o Tie verdict was one of "suicide « do temporarily insane.-Don n