Lieutenant Sydney Andrew Mitchell, 1900-11/7/1930.

BRITISH OFFICER’S DEATH

SUICIDE WHILE MENTALLY DEPRESSED 

“There is no doubt that the deceased shot himself,” said the Coroner (Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) at the inquest at the courthouse this afternoon on the death of Sydney Andrew Mitchell, a single man, aged thirty-one who was found dead in his bedroom in a boarding house in Russell street on July 10, with a bullet wound in the right temple, while a rifle was found across the body. 

The deceased served during the war as a lieutenant in the Imperial Army and also spent some time in India. He had been about eighteen months in New Zealand and was a salesman by occupation. Sergeant Hall watched the inquiry for the police. 

Thomas Gordon Cole, a fellow boarder of the deceased, said that he was in the habit of awakening deceased every morning. When he went in on the morning in question he saw deceased lying across the bed, and, thinking something was wrong, he informed another hoarder, who went in and said that the deceased was dead. Witness slept in the next room, and during the night heard no sound. 

Sergeant McCarthy said that he was called to a house in Russell street shortly after 8 o’clock on the morning of July 11, and found the body of the deceased lying across the bed. He had been dead apparently for some hours. The body was fully dressed, and in addition had two dressing gowns on. There was a bullet wound on the right temple, and the left side of the face had been blown away. A .303 service rifle was lying across the body, and was examined by the witness, who found one spent cartridge case in the barrel. Three letters were found on the bed alongside the body, one being addressed to the coroner, one to a fellow boarder, and one to a Miss Mitchell of London.

Sergeant Hall said that he had examined the guns register and found that, a permit had been issued to Mitchell for the purchase of a rifle from the Defence Department. The rifle was registered on April 5. 

The Coroner briefly reviewed the evidence, and said that it was strange no noise of a shot had been heard, but nowadays when modern motor traffic was passing up and down a street the noise of a shot might be passed over as the back-firing of a motor ear. A letter had been left addressed to the coroner, and also one lor a sister of the deceased, with the request that it not be opened. The Coroner said he saw no reason for opening this letter, which would be forwarded to the deceased’s sister. 

A verdict was returned that deceased committed suicide by shooting himself on July 10 while in a state of mental depression.  -Evening Star, 21/7/1930.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.