DETERMINED SUICIDE. A THSATRICAL SUPER FIRES CHARGE OF GUNPOWDER INTO HIS MOUTH.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 8

DETERMINED SUICIDE. A THSATRICAL SUPER FIRES CHARGE OF GUNPOWDER INTO HIS MOUTH.

One of the moat shocking suicides that have ' baken place in Auckland for maby years past happened on Sept. 14 in Wellesley-, street under circumstances of a somewhat mysterious character. The victim was a man named Harry Hall, who has for several yeaite past been employed as a ticket-taker at the Opera House, and who was very well known in town. He , lived with & mate named Edward Broad^ a bill eticker, in the upper rooms of Mr Bloom's pawnbroking establishment in , Wellesley-street, 'It was in one of these 'that the ' melancholy occurrence, happened., Nothing is known of the reason* which led to the committal of the act of ' selfdestruction. 'Hall was about town as usual yesterday, and very shortly before he shot himself he was interviewed in his room by Messrs Molioy, Graham, and Thompson relative to some betting matter. One of the trio wished to pay him a wager of 10s, and presented a cheque which Hall cashed. He then observed that fhe cheque was marked, and returned it, at the same time retaining the money. The youug men then left the room, and as they [were retiring Hall said they were Setting a Trap for Him, and They were all in it. They considered that he was quite rational when they left him, although he was somewhat excited about betting matters. Ib would appear that immediately he was left alone, Hall got. the pistol and loaded it, and made the attempt on his own life, which terminated so sadly. Broad returned home about twenty minutes after the young men had left, but when he went upstairs could not find his mate in either of the bedrooms. Noticing a peculiar smell of burnt gunpowder, he went into a lumber room, which is at the rear of his own bedroom, and found Hall lying on the floor covered with blood. He saw at a glance what had happened, and at once called out to Mr Bloom that Hall had shot himself. Mr Bloom harried upstairs, and it was then discovered that, although bleeding profusely from the mouth and face, the unfortunate was not dead. His face was shattered, and the lips were blown away. An old-fashioned property piatol, which had recently been discharged, was lying beside him. Mr Bloom ran outside to seek assistance, and hailing Mr Molloy, asked him to go for a doctor. Mr Molloy ran down to the United Service and rung up Dr. MacMullen, who said he would come at once. The young man afoo went to Dr. Hooper, who at once accompanied him to the scene of the tragedy. The examination made by the medical men showed that the injuries 1 were such as to prevent the removal of the man to the Hospital, as he might die on the way. Malting a Will. Hall was quite conscious at this time, but in great pain. He was not able to articulate, but at the request ot the doctors he proceeded to write a statement. The back of a theatrical poster Was ueed for the purpose, and the poor fellow, the aands of whose life were so rapidly running out, wrote the following will : ••• My watch and chain to M. Hall, Gisborne, my uncle. Ted Broad to get the money owing to me, and what is in the box, and the rest of my money and property and land to be given to my brother, whom I last heard of two years ago in Whangarei " Another statement relative to Hall's reason for taking his life was written, and was reserved for production at the inquest to-day. A Lingering Death. The unfortunate man lingered in great •gony until half-past ten o'clock. Rev. Mr Tebbs was with him early in the evening, and subsequently he became unconscious, although still moaning heavily. Messrs Perriman and Samways, employed at the Opera House, and old friends of the deceased, remained with him to render what assistance was in their power, and they, with Constable Howies, were the only persons present when he died. Hall was a middle-aged man of about 45 years. A Desperate Attempt. The attempt at self-destruction was a most desperate one. Hall would appear to have loaded the pistol, which was an old one, with simply a heavy charge of gunpowder. This done, he had placed the muzzle of the weapon in his mouth, and thus exploded the charge. There was no trace of a bullet, and the injuries described had evidently been caused by the concussion. The reason for self-destruction is inexplicable. It has been said that deceased had lost rather heavily by betting transactions, but this does not appear to have been the case. Money matters could scarcely have been the cause of his depression, as there were found on his person £11 in notes, £9 10s in gold, 2s 2d in silver, and a spade guinea, besides his watch and chain. The deceased, however, suffered from a severe stricture, which affected his spirits. Edward Broad's Statement. Edward Broad, the mate of Hall, made the following statement to one of our reporters : -X left home a little before eight o'clock yesterday morning.Hall being in bed, but awake. He appeared cheerful enough, and I remarked nothing in either his appearance or conversation to excite suspicion. I returned between 5.30 and 5.45 in the evening. Hall usually prepared tea, and on entering the house I walked straight into the kitchen „ to see if it were ready. Not finding him there, I passed ioto his bedroom, which is just beyond the kitchen and overlooks Wellesley- street West. He was not there,but just as I turned to come out, I noticed a smell as if of burning rosin, rags, or powder. It seemed to proceed 'from the lumber room, which is situated across the passage 1 frbm the kitchen. I went into the lumber-room, and in the dusk I could juat see Hall lying on his side, with his jiead resting against a partition that extends half-way across, the room. Thinking that he had fallen down in a fit, I called to him, and then, as he made no reply, I put my f hand to his back and found him covered with blood. It then flashed across my mind that the smell I had detected was that of gunpowder. Greatly alarmed, l ran down the stairs and sang out) to Mr Bloom, who was in his shop, that Hall had shot himself. Mr Bloom went back with mo. and, striking' a light, we saw that Hall waß bleeding "copioiisly from the mouth, the upper and lower lips of which seemed to have been ehot away. He was breathing, and there was a gurgling noise in his throat, An old horse pistol, looking like a theatrical property, lay beside him. I did hot stop, to .make any further examination, but rushed off to get medical .assistance. I went to Dawson's chemistf'ehop, but, as „t here, was no doctor there I proceeded ' f io Dr. Tennent's, Dr. Tenneiit was not ' in, aj>d "X. then wehs to s Dr. JDawson's. fie, was laid up and could not come out, I passed on to Dr. Hooper's, but he was out. I then hastened to L .the United! Service Hotel, accompanied by two friends, one of whom there telephoned for Dr. MacMullen. He' came within half-an-bOur. , I did not wai

at thWotel, but returned to the hbase, . where X, found .Conjtable Rawles. and.,Dr. v Hooper,, whbm the" constable had brought. We got Hall lifted on to a mattraw, and the doctors didi what. vhe could < for. ;him.' fLasked-mypoor tnate if he knew me,and« I he, ' hold out hie . bandi ; evidently tunable to speak. I then went away, a > Before I .left /the Rev. Mr Tebba ?had corr.e in and said ' someprayers ■> over him. When J« returned' again ihe was dead; Heilingered,t I believe, until half-pafctlO p.m., twolof his friendp, Henry Samway and Perriman (both stage carpenters) being with him at the last. . I had known Hal!. for the? last' eleven-, or twelve years, having made his. acquaintance when- the first Italian Opera.Company—CagU -and Pompei'er— came to this city. I, was then custodian: of, the old Prince of Wales Theatre, and Hall was a "super."> After that, he was away for. about three i years, in t Napier, and, when he came back we began to bachelorise to* gether, and have continued, so ever since. We were both employed about the. Theatre —he either as money or ticket,- taker," or in some other such capacity, and'occasionally, doing odd jobs in the daytime. We have live* over Mr Bloom's shop ever since the Opera House , opened. I have been ticket-taker at the - pit door nearly the whole of those three years. For, a long time past he has suffered greatly from a severe stricture, for the - relief of which he has undergone various operations, but to no purpose. At times he was in much agony, and the effect of the ailment was to render him moody and depressed. He was, however, a most abstemious man,never givincr way to drink. Although he has always been betting a little, and had lately: lost several wagers— as he thought unjustly — I do not think that fact preyed on his mind) for he was not out of money. It is more, likely that pain distressed him. Whatever the cause, I had no reason to imagine that he contemplated suicide. I never heard him threaten to take his life or say that he was weary of living. He was a single man about thirty • six or years, of age, and I believe that his mother resided at Albertland, where he has some land. His father, I think, was an Albertland settler. I believe also that he has an uncle in business at Whan garei as a saddler or something of that sort.