Terrible Suicide.

Manawatu Herald, 28 July 1904, Page 2

Terrible Suicide.

Yesterday afternoon Sergeant Stagpoole received a communication from Mr Alfred Cook, of Palmerston, to the effect that Foxton people were inquiring after Mr J. Mullins, a teacher of the violin, who had been in the habit of paying regular professional visits to Foxton, but .Who had not been'seen nor heard of for the last fortnight or more. Accordingly the police made inquiries, says the Times, and visited Mullins’ apartments in Warburton’s buildings, opposite the Courthouse. They found the door of his room locked, and on bursting it open, discovered the missing man dead in bed. In his mouth was the end of an indiarubber tube, connected with a gas jgk overhead, the gas being turned The case was carefully premeditated suicide. It appears as if deceased had gone to bed, after carefully sealing up the windows and door, pulling the blinds down and fixing them against the windows, and had then turned On the gas and inserted the tube in his mouth. He was dressed, and the bed had been pulled into the centre of the room under the jet. The nostrils were plugged with wadding. Evidently the deed was committed some ten or twelve days ago; for the body was in a very decompose® State; The police took possession of the body and transferred it to the morgue. As might be expected, the place was full of gas, and it is surprising that other inmates had riot made investigation earlier.

Deceased was a man of about 28 years of age. He had been in New Zealand about 15 years. He was retiring in disposition, and made few friends, and generally seemed to shun society. Though his professional connection was not a large one, he had sufficient pupils to keep him ' domfortably. Still he was known to be despondent about business matters. Most of his pupils were residents of Foxton, which deceased used to visftiiSgularly. His relations are said te tbe in England. An inguest is being- held in Palmerston this afternoon. ;