THE GOVERNOR'S BAY TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 24 July 1906, Page 5

THE GOVERNOR'S BAY TRAGEDY.

* FURTHER DETAILS. By Telegraph—-Press Association. 'CHRISTCHURCH, July 23.

Further details of the tragedy at Governor's Bay, on Saturday evening, show that Pope, who is tbe father of six little girls, committed suicide by blowing his head off with a double-barrelled gun before the eyes of his fourteen-year old daughter, Annie. On Saturday afternoon, Pope went shooting on the Cashier Hills, and returned home in the evening, missing his wife who had gone out to look for him. He reaohed home before her, and, being met at the door by his little daughter Annie, asked the child where her mother was. The girl replied that her'mother was out, and he then said he wanted to say "good bye," as he was goijug to shoot himself. He walked to the end of the house, and the little girl saw him put tbe muzzle of the gun in his mouth and press the tiigger with the toe of his boot The ohsrge exploded, shsttering the skull and blowing his brains out. The little girl was horriflfid, aud rushed down the road and met her mother coming in. Meanwhile the neighbours', attraotod by the report of the gun, hurried to the house, and found the man lying dead. The child said her father did not seem to be the worse for liquor. About two years ago Pope ! fell out of a cart ahd sustained an injury to his head. He frequently threacened to commit suicide, jiud on one occasion, while he wag under the influence of drink, he made an attempt to shoot himself, but failed, the shot going through the roof of the house. An inquest was held at Lytteltou this afternoon, at which a verdict of suicide while of unsound ruiud was returned.

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrijhti