SUICIDE AT OTAKEHO

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1917, Page 8

SUICIDE AT OTAKEHO

FARMER'S HEAD BLOWS TO PIECES. Word was received by Constable C:irroll, of Manaia, at 2 o'clock on" Sunday morning that Carl Shirker had committed suicide at his residence, T!ama Road. On the morning of January !i tlie deceased was in a very depressed wood, and was going about the farm with a gim, saying that lie ■ intended to take his life. He wife persuaded him to give her the gun, and she hid it away from liim. In the afternoon lie left in his gig for Manaia, but previous to going out with the gig he showed liis"\vife'a detonator and fuse, with which he f:\id he could take his life. While he was absent his wife, her husband having threatened her several times, went io stay with her sister at Kapnni. The deceased returned at (1.30, and had some talk in the house with Callus Strotz, the man at work oil the farm. The deceased then went outside, and shortly afterwards the man heard an explosion. He at once went to the scene, and found the deceased's body lying on its back in the vurd. Mr. ,Tohn Hunt, J.P., as Acting-Coroner, held an inquest on Monday, when the verdict returned was that the deceased took li'S own life while he was temporarily insane. The deceased was 20 years of age, and a native of Switzerland. It may be added that the deceased had put the detonator in his mouth, and bis was blown to pieces.—Star.