GUARD STYLES' SUICIDE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 221, 12 January 1911, Page 5

GUARD STYLES' SUICIDE

[ DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR. HIS LAST LETTER. By Telegraph.— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. llow Robert Thomas Styles, a railway guurd, who shot himself in the llollcston street cemetery on Tuesday afternoon, met his end was investigated by the City Coroner, Dr. A. AicAithur, at the morgue this afternoon. Air. T. E. Neave appeared for the Railway Department, and Station-Sergeant Darby for the police. Arthur Wood Mouatt, traflic clerk, said the deceased was employed as a guard, and stationed at Thorndon. He had been on duty until Alonday evening last, when, in consequence of an apparent irregularity over tickets, he was temporarily suspended pending an inquiry, On searching the body at the morgue they found a box of thirty-seven cartridges in one of the pockets, also a letter addressed. "To my wife, Maggie Styles." The letter was as under: — "Dear Wife,—l cannot face this trouble, it is not for myself so much as for you and the boy. Dear old Wray, I know he will be a good boy to his mother—perhaps a better boy than 1 have been. You will have a few pounds when I am gone. There is the insurance, lodge, and sick benefit. You will find a few pounds in my drawer. Then there is my wages for the last month to draw. This will leave a tidy bit, with the furniture. 1 know you will forgive me for the rash act I am about to commit. I have lain awake all night thinking, and another like it I cannot face. X know my friends will wonder, but I dannot help it. Give my best love to mother. The error I made was done on the spur of the moment, and I thought I had destroyed the evidence, but it was all against me. I must draw this to a close, as I am afraid I will not be able to face you again. I remain, your loving husband, Robert T. Styles."

The Coroner returned a verdict of death from a gunshot wound, sclf-in-flictcd.