SUICIDE OF A SCHOOLBOY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 59, 9 March 1878, Page 4

SUICIDE OF A SCHOOLBOY.

Early yesterday morning (says a Melbourne paper) a shocking and Very sad case of suicide on the part of a schoolboy.was discovered to have taken place on the Melbourne and Hobaon Bay railway, at Richmond. At about ten minutes past 5 a.m., Miohael Purcell, a ganger in the employ of the company, was walking down the Brighton line from Richmond to see that the rails were clear for the first train- Some seventy yards beyond the Stepbenson--Btreet gates, he found the body of a boy lying on the ballast outside the rails, the head completely severed from the trunk, and lying inside on what is technically known ac the " five foot." The left hand of the deceased was alao greatly mutilated. From the position in which the remains were found, it appeared that the deceased had laid himself down with his neck on the west rail, and it was clear that he must have been run over and killed by a late train on Monday nighti In committing the rash act, he had exercised some deliberation, having, previous to placing himself on the line, taken off his hat and boots, leaving them outside the fence, where they were found by the railway officials. Information of the death was sent to Melbourne, and Constable Fiannery was despatched to the scene of the tragedy. The remains having been conveyed to the local station, were brought on by Fiannery in the next train to the city, and placed in the morgue. In the meantime the body had been identified as that of Percy John Campbell, 15 years of age, who had lived with his stepfather, Mr George Smart, teacher of dancing, at the corner of Balmain and Dover streets Richmond. Although but a mere boy, he had formed aa attachment for a young lady in the neighborhood, and in one of his pockets was found a card upon which the following was written by him in pencil :— "Dear Chrissy, I am going away next Tuesday or Wednesday, and I will not return until I have made my fortune. Then I will come and claim you for ever. Yours truely and sincerely.—" P. J.Cambell." The deceased was a pupil at the Brighton-road Slate school, and had made good progress in his education. He left for school as usual on Monday morning, but about twelve o'clock Mr Higgins, the master, sent Mr Smart word that his stepson had not attended that morning. About the same time, Mr Smart was handed a pencil note in the hand-writtihg of deceased, which had just been received by the young lady referred to above. This note read as follows :— " Dear Chrissy, —I am now going away from home, and you will not see me any more alive on the face of this wicked earth. All 1 ask you to wear when I am gone is a black band on your right arm. I will drown myself in the Yarra to-night — Yours for ever, P. Z. Campbell." The deceased had on seyeral previous occasions caused much anxiety to his friends by absenting himself from home, and staying away over night. His absence from school on Monday was not, therefore, regarded as a very extraordinary occurrence, but the note he had sent to the young lady had occasioned considerable uneasiness to his friends. Fearing that the youth might have had some suicidal intentions, Mr. Smart reported the circumstances of the case at the detective office, and left there a copy of the letter. The detectives, however, seemed to regard the letter as merely a ruse to frighten the young lady to whom it was addressed. Yesterday it was ascertained that the deceased spent Monday evening at iSandridge. lie called on his uncle there, Mr. Charles Pot :er, landlord of the Hibernian Hotel and had tea. Mr. Potter inquired of him what had brought him to Sandridge that night, and he replied that he was down on business. There was then nothing unusual in his manner. He did not even appear despondent, but on the contrary seemed to be in liigb spirits. He left home in time to catch the 7.30. p.m. train for Melbourne at the North Sandridge Station, and the next heard of him was the finding of his remains on the railway line. The. tragedy was enacted on

a part of the line which liei just be-j hind the house where the yonngj lady to whom the letter «v writ-! ten resides. There can be no doubt; that the deceased committed self-des-, truction, and it may be easily concluded; that when he did bo he wa§ sufferingi trom mental aberration. '