THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9421, 17 April 1909, Page 5

THE CHRISTCHURCH TRAGEDY.

DEATH OP ORR. Per Press Association. Christchurch, April 16. Orr, the principal iu the Palsgrave Street tragedy, died last night from bis self-inflicted injuries, never having regained consciousness. At the inquest, presided over by Mr H. W. Bishop, coroner, Sophia Spoor said she had not been engaged to Orr, although they were keeping company with a view of marriage, Orr asked her to marry him, but she asked for a couple of months to arrange things. On Wednesday he asked her to marry him in a fortnight, but she said she wished to go for a fortnight’s holiday, and would marry him when she came back. He was very jjealons, and said she should not go. About 9.15 p.m. he said: “You will he a dead corpse tonight, ana me with yon.’’ They got irside the gate, and he said, “I have got a thing here to do it with,” and palling out a revolver he caught both her hands and aimed the revolver at her forehead, pulling the trigger/three times, hut the weapon did not go off. When it refused to go off he let her go and rushed to the gate to get near the lamp, apparently to see what was wrong. She then ran inside. Afterwards be fired a shot in the back yard to test the weapon. On Tuesday evening he said, “I don’t think you have enough love for me, but you have had your day and I will have mine. ’’ This referred to Easter Monday, when she had gone to the races without Orr. She had liked him very well up till last week, hut had not intended to throw him over. “Are you sure he clicked the revolver?” said the Coroner. “Yes,” responded the witness. “Then you must have had a very narrow-escape of losing your life,” replied 'the Coroner. “Yon are a very lucky woman, for by the look of this weapon he evidently meant business.^ Constable McCormack said he reached the house about 9.50 p.m. in company with Constable O’Connor, and did not see Orr till they sot to the gate. He was. standing in the doorway speaking to somebody inside. They crept np quietly and got on to the lawn, hut when they were about six feet away he slightly turned liis head and they saw a flash, the man falling on his left side. , ... , The Coroner returned a verdict that “James Orr committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver,” and added that “there was. no evidence as to the state of his mind.”