A SUICIDE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1929, Page 4

A SUICIDE

BY EX-STATION-MASTER

(By Telegraph—Press Association).

CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 29

A tragedy occurred on Friday at No. 95, Poison St., when the former Station master at Ngahere, Grey Valley, Henry Reece Richards, aged 44 years, an exsoldier, suicided. For no cause whatever, he gave his dog a thrashing, then he told his wife lie meant to suicide, and finally lie went into the house and shot himself at 5.30 p.m. He was taken to the hospital in a state of ueep unconsciousness, with a terrible wound in his head. He died there a few minutes before one a.m. yesterday. Evidence of identification was given at the inquest, before Mr H. P. Lawrv, Coibner, by William Hartigan, a neighbour, who said that he had never noticed anything unusual about Richards. When called in by Mrs Richards, he found Richards lying on the floor of a front room, and went for help. The man’s head was covered with blood, and there was a revolver .lying four feet from him. Dr T. E. Palmer, house surgeon at the ’ Christchurch Hospital, ski'd that Richards was brought in at 6.30 p.m. he was unconscious. The case was hopeless from the start. He died through laceration of the brain'caused by a bullet wound. Lilian May Richards, the widow said that Richards had been stationmaster at Ngahere, West Coast, till on November 13th he was suspended for drinking while on duty. Five weeks later he was dismissed. He immediately got temporary employment in Dalgetv’s wool store at Addington. “He came home yesterday at 2.30/ ’ said the witness. “He was depressed and moody. He lay down and went to sleep on his bed, then at half-past four woke up and had a cup of tea. He then went into the front room. We were in the yard at the back of the house, and soon he came out in a very irritable mood. He caught and severely beat the dog for nothing at all, and then he ran into the house, saying he would shoot himself. My daughter aged sixteen heard him say that as well as I. I was terrified, aiid ran round to the front of the house to get help. Before I could get to the gate I heard a shot, and a heavy fall.” Continuing witness said that Richards was a returned soldier. He went away with the fifth reinforcement*. She did not know whether his period of employment at Dalgety’s had enctecr or whether lie had b-en dismissed for some other cause.. She suspected that the latter was the case. Since the war, where lie had concussion and shock, he had been moody and depressed at times. He did not drink a great-deal, but what lie took accentuated his moodiness. He had never threatened to take his life before. The Coroner said in his verdict that tne deceased died through laceration of the brain, caused by a bullet wound self-inflicted while the deceased was in a state of depression.