A TRAGIC END.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1921, Page 3

A TRAGIC END.

I CHRISTCHURCH, June 25 Mr William James Dickie, of Lyndliurst, ex-member of Parliament for Selwyn, was found dead yesterday in a building on bis newly acquired farm. ; There was a gunshot wound in his head, ! and a gun lay beside him. Mr Dickie was last seen alive at 11 , a.m. yesterday, working in his farmyard. When he did not appear at lunch, a •farm hand named Albert Dent i went to look for him, and found him ' lying dead in a nearby building, with j a gunshot wound in his head and a i fowling piece beside him, ! The Into Mr Dickie was a grandson | of the late Mr James Dent, one of tlie i earliest settlers in Lauriston, and was ! horn at Coining near Greymout'h. He j entered the service of Messrs Thomas I.and M’Beth, a West Coast business l firm, but owing to ill health he bad to f relinquish the occupation in favour of fanning, lie took up land at Charlton, Somertom Seven years later lie j sold the property, and bought the Ardagli estate, Lyndhurst, in partnership | with Mr Dent. He married Miss Peryi man, niece of Mr James Perymnn, one I of tile early settlers of Greymouth, and J leaves a widow, two grown up sons and I 1 a daughter. He was prominent in the j local affairs of his district, and eventually represented Selwyn in the House of Representatives, in 1908 the Hon ('. A. C. Hardy (Reform) gained a substantial majority over the lath Mr J. Ivess. In 1911. Mr Dickie, standing in the Liberal interest, gained 2734 votes against 2163 polloci by Mr Hardy. In tlie 191 I election he was again successful, gaining 2888 votes, which gave him a big majority over Messrs G. Sheet (Reform) 1661 and J. W. Hamlet (Reform) 988. At the readjustment of boundaries prior to the 1919 election the Selwyn electorate went out of existence. A large part of it was merged in the Ashburton electorate, lor which Mr Dickie stood, against the Hon W. Xosworthy, but was unsuccessful. INQUEST YERDICT. ASHBURTON, June 26. The verdict at the inquest on the late William James Dickie, formerly member for Selwyn, was that he met his death from a gunshot wound in the head, self inflicted, while temporarily insane, or during a period of brain-' storm. The evidence showed that the deceased recently had been in poor health 1 and was under medical attention. The ' deceased also was worrying about his 1 financial position, which, nevertheless, c appeared sound from the evidence.