ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10062, 2 February 1909, Page 2

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.

(Per I'iikss Association.) Dunedin, February 1. Between 7.30 and 8 o'clock to-night, Samuel Brooks, who has recently been employed as a fireman on boaru the s.s. Maheno, made what is believed to le an attempt to murder his wife, and then, with a revolver, shot himself through the head, death being instantaneous. Brooks has, for the past three or four weeks, been residing with his mother-in-law, Mrs Elizabeth Cameron, at Maori Hill. During this time he appears to have been coKabiting with this wife, from whom, it is stated, he had been separated for the past five years. In the course of the last day or two there had been frequent quarrels between the husband and wife, Brooks threatening to take proceedings against her for divorce. To-night he returned home from town, the elfects of drinlc being noticeable on him, and after tea had. an altercation with his wife in the scullery. Blows succeeded angry words, and Mrs Brooks became partially unconscious. In this state she heard one or more shot 6 fired from a revolver, which apparently Brooks carried, hut whether they were fired with intent to do bodily harm or not she cannot speak positively. Another son-in-law of Mrs Cameron s (George Thorns) came to the house at this .juncture, and grappled with Brooks, who immediately turned the revolver .on himself and blew his brains out. A fivechambered revolver was found beside the the body, four of the chambers having been discharged.