MANGATOKI TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1921, Page 3

MANGATOKI TRAGEDY.

MAN SHOOTS HIMSELF. A tragedy occurred at Mangatdri on Monday night, when a man named Ernest John Richards, in the employ of Mr. J. H. Magee, of the Eltham Road. Man gat ok i. shot himself with a shotfun, death being instantaneous. Richards, who was a aingle’man, 33 years of age, had been living in the district for some time. He was at first in the employ of Mr. Jacob Marx, but more recently was w'th Mr. Magee, who is share milking for Mr. Jack Marx. He was living in a whare near Magee’s house, and at about 7.30 or Monday night, when all the inmates of the house With the exception of a lad, Lawrence and a friend named Woodhead, Sad gone to a function at the MangaJoki Hall, Richards entered the kitchen, took some cartridges from a box and rehirned to the whare. A few minutes later the boys heard the report of • pm and rushed out to the whare, fearing an accident. They found Richards lying on the bed dead. The top of the head was practically blown off.—Argus.