SENSATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1916, Page 4

SENSATIONS IN CHRISTCHURCH.

A DRAMATIC SUICIDE. ANOTHER MAX RUNS AMOlt By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Corporal Archibald Burns, a returnee! soldier, shot himself with a revolver thin' afternoon. Two men, motoring into' Cliristchurrli from the Rangicra Show; met him at Belfast and offered to give him a ride into town, which he accepted. At» Papanui. he expressed a desire to. alight, and the ear was stopped. As his manner was strange, the motorists com-; municated with his parents, and, at their. request, they returned and induced hintto come with them, promising him they. would take him either to the Waimakariri River or New Brighton. Coming down the Papanui Road Burnß becamo restless, and made to open the door of the car. He was prevented from doing so, and immediately produced a revolver and shot himself in the head, dying at once. At the inquest a verdict of suicide while in a state of unsound mind' was returned. Deceased left with the Canterbury battalion of the Main Body, and was wounded at Suvla. He was invalided to England, where he was under treatment for a severe nervous breakdown following his injuries. This afternoon, William Henry Allen, a remittance man. ran amok on the lawn in front of the Supreme Court. He. asked a gardener, C. Morris, a returned' soldier, if the Supreme Court were sitting, and, receiving a negative reply, produced a bayonet and rushed at two carters who were conveying a'case into the Magistrate's Court building. Tbey fled. Allen, pursued by Constable Ryan, rushed into tho court, room, giving the Magistrate, the officials and others an unpleasant jar. In trying to intercept Allen, Constable Ryan wag gashed on the arm with the bayonet. Escaping from the court. Allen, followed by the constable and Morris, rushed down Armagh Street, where he was cornered by some carriers and thrown, and the bayonet taken from him. This weapon gone, he pulled a carving knife from beneath. his coat and stabbed Morris above the eye. He was then handcuffed and taken to the police station and placed in a padded cell. Morris had his wound stitched at the hospital, and afterward* was able to proceed to his home.