FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT OTEPOPO.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1357, 25 June 1885, Page 2

FEARFUL TRAGEDY AT OTEPOPO.

In our last issue we briefly announced that a terrible tragedy had been enacted at Otepopo, near Oamaru. The following are additional particulars Writing on Monday morning, a correspondent of the Oamaru Mail gives the following particulars of the sad affair A horrible tragedy happened.in Otepopo last night. A young man Harry White, 21 years of age, son of Mr James White, shot a little girl ten years of age, daughter of Mr James Patterson, of the Imperial Hotel, and then shot himself. Death was instantaneous. It appears that he threatened the chllds life on Saturday, but it was thought he was in sport. No motive at present can be assigned for the horrible deed, but it is said that two sealed letters were found in his pocket. It has. cast quite a gloom over the district and great sympathy is felt for the bereaved families.” White, who committed the fearful crime, will be kno'-Vn to many of our (Oamaru Mail’s) readers as a young man of very eccentric habits, and wore his back hair done up in ribbons very much after the manner of decorating a horse’s mane. Ha was known Jo be of weak, if not of absloutely unsound, mind, but was generally viewed as. harmless and inoffensive.

The tragedy was the result of jealousy on the part of White, who was rather eccentric in bis habits, and who •. had threatened to shoot the girl on Saturday last. The act was evidently premeditated, as White went into the kitchen with a five-chambered revolver fully, loaded and said he intended to shqot her. The girl replied to his threat, “If you shot me you would be hanged for it.” To this he replied that he would.also shoot himself. The revolver was purchased in Herbert last week, and since it came into White’s possession he had been practising with it at telegraph posts. An inquest was held on Monday evening at Herbert, when the father of the young man said in evidence that his son had not been right since he had the rheumatic fever, some years ago. Evidence was,, also given to show that White, -bad frequently threatened the girl, always appeared to imagine that he was joking. The following letter, written by White the day previous to the tragedy, will explain his intentions and feelings with regard to the young girl“ Herbert, June 20th, 1885.—The last wishes of me (Henry D. White), regarding the disposal of my effects. 1 desire that £IOO be given to the family of Jas. Patterson, Herbert, and £IOO to Alexander Gillies, uncle to the family. Although this is not a legal will, I expect it to be carried out as desired. There will be some money over £2OO, but that can go to whoever wants it. These wishes are written under the impression that most probably I shall very soon shoot Ida Patterson, and then myself. There is no very great need that 1 should explain motives, etc. Lee it suffice for the present to know that it is simply through love and regard for the girl that I should think of ending her life here, I believe that, Knowing her as I think I do, she would lead an unhappy life without—in fact, Without me. (Here was a lot of writing which had been crossed out.) Supposing even she had never seen me~)Here, again, a few lines had been crossed out.) The money is lodged in the Bank of New Zealand. The receipt is in the little leathern box in the bedroom. Henry D. White.—Most likely Uncle Aleck will understand my action. Ida is of too generous and kind a nature, too impulsive to sympathy, and unselfish, and too sensitive to the highest emotion to be anything but unhappy in this world. I have left a copy something like this for James White. Ask leave to see ir, also. To Mrs James Patterson.”

The jury returned a verdict “That the deed was committed while White was suffering from temporary insanity."