ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 194, 20 September 1909, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

a MIND UNHINGED,

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchureh, Last Night. An inquest touching the death of fcarauel Whaler BurkvtE was held to«ay. Mrs. Burkitt, widow of the doceased, stated that she Inst saw him alive about 10.30 o'clock on Thursday morning. He was then leaving the house, and said that he was going *or a stroll. As far as witness knew lie did not take a revolver with him, But he possessed a revolver which was not now in the drawer that it was usually kent in, and she had been unaible to find It. Her husband bought it about three or four years ago when he was licensee of the Eastern Hotel. He had got it, witness understood, for the purposes of self-defence. Her husband appeared to be a bit upset after the receipt of i summons from Duncdin. He did not seem as usual. That was the first time she had noticed anything unusual, as ner husband had always paid his wav. i>ho had asked him when he got tlic nrst summons if he could pay the money, and urged him to do so. Ha had replied that his current account had ran out. He could par the amount put she understood that his money was tied up. It was the first trouble that she knew that he had had in respect to any money matter of any sort. Subsequently she had asked deceased if • < \i , .. mndc the nlos iey matter all right with Donaldson, and he had replied in the affirmative. During the past eighteen months her husband had jiot confided his financial imatters to her, so that she might not be worried. Uitncsai know of no other trouble that vpurtr have led her husband to take lus life. A verdict was given that deceased committed suicide, and that hU mind appeared to have been unhinged owing to financial difficulties.

PEA-RIFLE FATALITY. Dunedin, Last Night. wpar Milton Herbert Thomson, whose people reside in Milton, was killed OVI . me to a pen-rifle accident. Thompson vho w„ 8 alad of fifteen year,. Zm » . , Port «f. a former, and was la. •trneW to kill some fowl*. T J l.o v XL* ?„ v ; d , e ° tly «*»*J« «* order when the fatality occurred. He was in the h»b,t of killing fowl, with hi pc^ fle which was found discharged W in a shed and sixteen yards awnv t rn ,l where the lad was found r"3 l-oscd that the rifle knocked 1„ Tt hat tta lad daggered to where h Tn

TOOWNIXf! FATALITY ai.« «™ Christchurch. Last Xi„|,t noon Charles Winter. 23 years of „„, ncar d r"cm: , t Upp "' Wl,i "» f^ oapspl, and Winter neath it, and was drowned before 1 ("stance could reach Wm . „,. ™" f '" Ployed at the Waiau Hotel. Hl* fatto resides at St. Allan's, in this ety