A TRAGIC AFFAIR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3952, 31 October 1891, Page 2

A TRAGIC AFFAIR.

The Daughter of Mr B. S. Sawjkini Shoots Eorself.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

\yjepiiiNgTON, Friday, 3.80 p.m,

The. daughter of Mr. B. S. Hawkins, solicitor of the Supreme Court, shot herself in tbe Botanical Gardens this afternoon.

It appears, according to the Times, , that Mr T. Sims, a clerk employed in , Mr G. B. Clark's establishment, Lambtou Quay, was taking his usual after-dinner stroll in tbe gardens, when he heard three children passing say, " Let us ask this man." They thereupon enquired of him' if p-6 ha£j seen a young lady there, to which be replied he had not. This was a few yards in tbe Gardens as you oncer from the Wellesley road stile. The children went on a few yards and he then noticed a lady's sunshade lying open on the grass, a few yards down the slope among ilie scrub, and furthej investigation disclosed the dead body Of a young which proved to be that of Miss Mabel Hawkins, daughter of Mr fi. S. Hawkins, solicitor. She was lying on her back, with a bullet wound, from which the brains were protuding, in her forehead, and a six-ohambered revolver, two barrels of which W9ie empty, but only one had been discharged, lightly clasped in her right hand, and tbe left arm lying by her sido. On the front of lier uress was "pinned a 6heot of bloocj-stajnec} paper, ori which wasWjtten in pebcjl, in small, cramped' characters, the message : '? Whoever fiuds me, break the news gently to my darling mother. Mabel Hawkins, 1, Bolton street, Wellington." Mr Hawkins and the police were immediately communicated with, and Dr Kemp and Petectjve Ede at once proceeded to the gardens and examinee} the bod). Life, however,' had been extinct probably tor some bburs, and the remains were at once conveyed to her parents' residence. The deceased, who was about 19 years of age, has been recently suffering from extreme nervous depression,for which she was under treatment, and was shortly about to ieave a change of air. About half past 10 : that'morning She h&d left home for a wa\k, which'waa' : nothing uhujua'l.'as ahe was in the habit of frequently going to the Botanical Gardens for the purpose ot sketching, of whiou, being rather proficient, she was very

fond, Her absence was not remarked until near the hour for luncheon, when, as she did not return, her mother and sister went into the Gardens to look for her. Three children of Dr Kemp's also assisted, who, as has been stated, asked Mr Sims if Le had aeon anything of her. A pathetic incident in the sad affair is that afcer bad been found, and Mr Hawkins was staving near it waiting for a stretcher to be brought, his wife and daughter were still searching the gardens for the missingonethelattercooeyinginavain endeavor to attract her sister's attention. In their search they found Mr Hawkins, who broke the sad news to them and took them home. Ihe revolver with which the rash act was committed is six chambered, and apparently quite new. The weapon did not belong to anyone in the house, but where it was bought has not yet been discovered. At the inquest a verdict was returned that the deceased shot herself while in a state of hyJSriii, *,he not being responsible for her action^.