GHASTLY TRAGEDY AT FORDELL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10271, 26 June 1911, Page 5

GHASTLY TRAGEDY AT FORDELL.

A MAN COMMITS SUICIDE. AND CREMATES HIS BODY. The Wanganui Chronicle of Saturday says:— • , , ''A shocking tragedy occurred at Fordell 011 Coronation Day, a man named J. M. Gibbons committing suicide in a most extraordinary manner. It appeared that the deceased was tutor to Mr A. Sutherland a family at Fordell. On Coronation Day the family cam© into Wanganui to participate dm the celebration*, leaving Mr Gibbons and the servant .in charge of the house. Li the evening the servant missed Mr Gibbons, and cm making investigations found a note in which, the missing man stated that they had seen the last him. The police were communicated with, and Constable Connor was dispatched yesterday to make investigations. His search resulted in a .ghastly discovery. Some distance away'he came upon a quantity of smouldering wood, which proved to have been a funeral pyre, for m the ashes were found the skeleton of a aniam and the remains of a razor. In the note which the- deceased left in the house he had intimated his intention of committing isuici.de. He indicated that ike- would set fire to a stack of manuka, throw himself on it, and cut Qiis throat, details being given of the artery he would sever. Deceased added an apology to the ownier of the manuka for destroying his wood. The stack referred to •contained severa \ cordis."