SUICIDE AT OTOROHANGA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 451, 27 March 1912, Page 5

SUICIDE AT OTOROHANGA.

TEMPORARY INSANITY.

A very tragic occurrence took place at Otorohanga on Monday morning, when Arthur Plummer apparently took his own life. Deceased was a middle-aged man and was engaged as slaughterman for Mr J. Ormsby's butcher shop. He delivered his ordinary supply of meat to the shop a3 usual, and took his horse and trap back to the slaughterhouse and tied the horse up. He then appears to have taken a pea rifle and gone up the road where he was found by a passer-by. He was lying where he must be noticed with a rifle alongside him and a wound in his ear where the bullet had entered, and gone clean through his head. Constable Drummond was eiarly on the scene, and Ifound a 'etter in deceased's whars. The letter was written ith lead pencil and very incoherent. It appeared to show that some apparent trouble had been worrying him and he was subject to hallucinations. Deceased had plenty of money on him and a fair sum in a savings bank. A pathetic incident was that inside his bank book was written, "Please ; banker, my wish give my money to my mother."

THE INQUEST

An inquest was held on Tuesday morning, Mr Teasdale, coroner, conducting the enquiry. Dr Henderson testified to having examined the body, and said he found a wound just in front of the right ear. The wound was such ns would be caused by a 22 bullet. The skin around the wound was burnt with gunpowder, showing that the gun must have been close to the head whon it was discharged. There had been a considerable amount of bleeding from the wound. From the direction of the wound the bullet must have cenetrated the brain. In his opinion death was due to a gunshot wound, and in reply to a question said it could have been self-inflicted. James Murphy deposed to discovering the body and reporting the fact. M. Roigard saw the horse tied up in the yard and saw the deceased walking along the private road. Constable Drummond said that about 8.30 he was informed that a man had shot himself out at the slaughter house. He went out and found deceased lying on his back close to the main road and a pea rifla was alongside. The man was dead although still slightly warm. Examined deceased's effects and found a letter written to deceased's mother telling her not to worry about him; his head was bad and he felt silly. The letter showed that he contemplated taking his life, and gave instructions for the disposal of some goods and left a note for his mother to get his money, of which he had a considerable amount in his house and more in a savings bank. The father stated that deceased was 42 years of age, a native of Auckland and unmarried. The coroner returned a verdict that deceased died from a bullet wound self-inflicted whilst temporarily insane. __™,