A Most Determined Suicide – grave tales

What seems to have been a most determined suicide, took place at the Forty-two-Mile on the first of the month, a man named James, dying from the effects of a bullet wound self-inflicted. Mr. Davis, manager of Mr. Pell’s livery business, who was present on the ground, supplies us with the following narrative —The man was sick, suffering from dysentery, and not from fever, I think. He was very low in condition, and had apparently lost heart in life. He appeared to be in indigent circumstances, as he possessed nothing but

THE CLOTHES HE WORE

a blanket and a white wrapper, and was being taken care of by residents of the camp. Several overtures were made to him to secure his removal to Coolgardie for medical treatment, but he resolutely refused to be shifted. The notice of Mr. Warden Finnerty was drawn to the man’s condition on his journey through the settlement to the Ninety-Mile, and he made up his mind to take the man back with him on his return. Nobody expected anything was going to happen. At mid-day on the 1st, as Messrs. Davis, McLeod and Pollen were having lunch, they

HEARD A SHOT

about 30 yards away, and then a voice exclaimed—’ Here’s a dead man.’ They went over in the direction and saw the body. He had lain down, put the muzzle of the revolver to his temple, pulled the trigger, and the bullet came out of the top of his head.

HE NEVER MOVED

after firing.” Two hours afterwards the Warden drove up on his way into town to fulfil his intention of taking the sick man in, but was faced  with the stiffened horror of the dead man. An inquest was held and a verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane was returned’ The remains were interred in the vicinity of the camp, and were followed by a large number of the residents. This latest tragedy gives the Forty-Two-Mile quite an unenviable notoriety, for it was in the vicinity of this rash that the

BARDOC MURDER

took place. James is stated to have suffered from suicidal mania, as he had previously made two attempts to take his life while residing in South Australia, and no doubt the weakness of his sickness, accompanied by its delirium, as well as his needy circumstances, contributed largely towards the perpetration of his rash act.