DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Kumara Times, Issue 700, 26 December 1878, Page 2

DETERMINED SUICIDE.

Some excitement was caused in tdWh last evening by the report that a miner had shot himself at Dill man’s Town, whichj on inquiry, proved.only tootrue, the locality however being the Shallow Lead. Information was given to'the police during the evening by Mr John Forster, who stated that a miner named Peter Skalen had committed suicide on the Shallow Lead,gby ; shooting himself through the head. On the police visiting the hut of.the deceased, theydbftnd* him quite: dead, in a fitting pdsitidn, fohis bed, with his legs hanging outwahls ; and a gun lying between theiriL ) The sock was off the right foot, and attached ’' to the big toe was a corii wbich ihad ! evidently been used for the purpose'df drawing the trigger to discharge nthe gun. The right side of deceased’s bead ; was frightfully shattered, *there wag also a large quantity of blood on his right shoulder, and from the of the wounds the muscle of'the guUmu^t : have been placed in his movtth'ahd'tben discharged. The sum of £B2 was found on the body, consisting of iour'£s two £1 notes, and a fixed deposit f&ceipt for £6O. The dfedeas&P-was ia native of Denmark, and abodf 60 years of age, and Was well-known as “ Peter, the Dane.” It is rumoured that he was suffering from some islighfe ‘ntehtal derangement, but as he was working with his mates on Monday evening last when they washed up, and noticed nothing unusual in his demeanour,; tbisi report may be uufoundeil. An ihfjnel£- ’ was being held when we went ih press, the Cosmopolitan Hdtel, Seddott streat, to which place the body had-been-.re? moved. , ... , >