DETERMINED SUICIDE

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2981, 22 August 1891, Page 2

DETERMINED SUICIDE

,T. AIT KEN CONXELO SHOOTS HIMSFLF. (l)V TKLKCiHAHI.— OWN CQItRHSfONtIKNT.) Auckland, Night. Early this morning news was received in town thatJulm Aitken Council had been found dead in his bed at Deacon's Hotel at Riverhead. A discharged revolver on the floor and a hole in the side of hi - skull told o.ily too plainly tho cause of d»ath. Mr Oonnell proceeded last, night to Riverhead in the Planet, having been engaged by the Government to survey some block* of land at the head of Bright':) creek, and tho remainder of his party were Messis Maxwell, Jordan, Shaw, and Flynn. Tluy arrived at Riverhead and wont to Deacon's Hotel to stay the night. Before he retired at 10 o'clock he askod that breakfast be ready half-an-hour earlie-, as he wished to get a good start. A little before five o'clock this morning a ringing sound was heard, but no one thought it was caused by tho disoharge of a weapon, tho general impression being that a door had beon slamtned with a loose lock. Mr Connell not coming to breakfast the room was entered and ho was found lying on tho bed dead, and on the floor uear at hand, was a small revolver of which one barrel had recently been discharged. The body was half twisted out of bed, and tho hands were crossed as they hung over, the fingers almost touching the carpet. Tho wound was about two inches above the ear, and the bullet must ba lodged in tho brain, as it had not come out of the other side of head. A portion of the brain was protruding from the wound, and mucous was exuding from tho nostrils of deceased. When found the body was already getting cold and beginning to stiffen, so that death must have taken place somo time before. Tho membors of the party had not notieed my thing unusual in Connell's manner during tho previous day, but since his election contast against Mr Mitchfilson, he has never beon quite the same man he was before, and had been been in very bad health.