A DUNEDIN TRAGEDY.
ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.
Samuel Lewis Brookes and His Wife, A Miserable End to a Matrimonial Mesalliance.
The tragic story of a matrimonial mistake that culminated fatally at Maori Hill last week was told by the wounded wife, Mrs Annie Brookes, before the Dunedin Coroner, Mr Widdowson, and a jury, on Monday afternoon. The subject of the inquest was the death of Samuel Lewis Brookes, who ended his domestic infelicities by shooting himself in the head. According to his wife, he also attempted to end her mortal account by firing three shots at her. Certain it is that she received bullet wounds that came within an ace of being fatal. The tragedy took place at the house of Mrs E. Cameron, of Water-street, Maori Hill, mother-in-law of deceased, and a ghastly struggle was seen in the scullery, four shots out of a five-chambered revolver being fired. It is pitiful story all through, and a telling example of the tragic possibilities of ill considered unions. Brookes was a stalwart, upstanding fellow of thirty, and
WENT THROUGH THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR. Returning to New Zealand, he earned his living as fireman in various deep-sea vessels. During his spells ashore he became acquainted with Miss Annie Dey, who was then a pretty and popular barmaid in Dunedin. The acquaintanceship ripened, and in 1902 culminated in the marriage of the young couple. But it proved an ill-starred venture. One child was born, but it died. Then, barely two years after the expectant young pair, had pledged their vows, hand-in-hand at the altar, they separated absolutely. Mutually sick and tired of continual domestic differences, they went their own sundered ways. The woman travelled extensively and the man followed his occupation of fireman, which kept him a rover, too. His last ship was the Maheno, which he left three weeks ago. Then he went to live with his mother-in-law at Maori Hill, his wife eventually came down from Timaru on a visit to her people; the parted couple were brought into contact again, and the tragedy was the outcome.
The inquest was commenced at Maori Hill last week, but was adjourned, Mrs Brookes being in the Hospital. She was able to appear on Monday, and as her evidence is the most vital, it is given first. She was dressed in deep black, and her face was practically hidden by rolls of hospital lint. Natural, she had not recovered yet from her awful experience. The brother of deceased was present to watch the proceedings.
Witness stated that her name was Annie Brookes, wife of deceased. They were married in May, 1902, in Dunedin. There was one child, which died. They lived together about two years and then she left her husband, because unhappy differences arose between them.
THE CHILD WAS THEN DEAD. She frequently saw her husband after the separation and they always spoke when they met, and there was never any trouble. Witness had not been in New Zealand all the time since the separation. She had been to Sydney and had travelled. Her husband was on a steamer and they met at Melbourne, Sydney and different parts of New Zealand. They met sometimes by accident and sometimes by arrangement. Until about a fortnight ago she had been staying at Timaru with friends. She came from Dunedin to Timaru to see her people, on January 30. It was not to meet her husband that she came, but she found him on the railway station when she arrived, together with her mother and others. He shook hands with her and welcomed her. There was no unpleasantness and they all went home in the cab together. She could not say whether he had had drink, but he was a little excited. When they home they had tea, and there was no unpleasantness. Witness and her husband did not occupy the same room. There was no suggestion that they should make up their differences; deceased let her go her way, and he went his. Deceased left the house just after lunch on Monday and returned about 7 o'clock. He appeared to be sober but was a little excited. She had lost a little child that afternoon, and
HE CALLED AT THE POLICE STATION, and seemed excited when the child had not been found. It was found by witness about, 5 o'clock, however. Witness was at home when deceased arrived on Monday night. He went into his room and then sat down in the kitchen to tea. He seemed very hungry and said he would eat all that was put in front of him. After going to her bedroom for a few minutes, she saw her husband standing near the door of the scullery. She was passing him to get some clothes off the line, when he asked her why she was not wearing a medal he had given her. She replied that the slip link was too large and she was waiting for him to get another. He then pulled a greenstone heart off his chain and threw it into the yard, saying, "If the medal isn't worth wearing, the greenstone heart isn't." Angry words arose. "He said he would smash it, and I told him not to smash anything belonging to me," continued witness. "He then wanted the medal belonging to me, and Ma went and got it. I said she was not to give him the medal until he had given me the ring I had given him in place for it. Mother was standing alongside, and my husband hit me on the back of the head with his fist. Before that, he said
HE HAD NEVER STRUCK ME, but he would strike me now. I was walking towards the sink with my back towards him, and he continued striking me on the back pf the head. My mother tried to separate us, and he caught hold of her and she fell on the floor. When my mother fell to the floor the revolver was pointed at my cheek — I could see the shiny revolver in his hand, I felt it alongside my left cheek. He said he would fix me that was before putting the revolver to my cheek, I think. There were two shots fired then one struck me on the cheek and then I put my head down, and the second bullet touched the back of my head, making it bleed, and it went past. I don't know how I got out of the door; I think my mother was still on the floor. I went out of the back door, and my brother-in-law, George Thorns, was rushing him as I went out. I heard a third shot then. I knew I had been shot, as I was covered with blood. I went straight to a neighbor's house. I went to the hospital the same night. When the firing took place I was standing up, with my head leaning over the sink. My husband had one hand on me
WHEN HE DISCHARGED THE REVOLVER, but I can't say which hand he held it in. I knew my husband had a revolver. In Sydney last November he told me there was a lot of badness in Honolulu and he had to carry a revolver. After reading about a row that occurred in Sydney he said, 'You should always carry a revolver. He showed me his revolver. It was a little, short, silver-plated revolver (produced), and he said he bought it in the streets of Honolulu. On the Sunday night after I had come home I felt something in his pocket and asked if it was a revolver. He said it was, and I asked him why he had it, and he said he was going to put it in his box. During the row in the scullery he said he had been to a solicitor to see about divorce proceedings. He often used to threaten me when we were living together and since, but I got used to it and took no notice of him when he was in a passion. He was 30 years of age.
Mr Widdowson: What nationality was he?
HE TURNED CATHOLIC WHEN I MARRIED HIM.
Mr Widdowson: But what was he English, Irish, or Scotch? — Oh, I don't know — English I think.
In reply to Mr George Brookes, brother of deceased, witness said she did the washing on Monday morning, and deceased lit the fire and helped her to carry the water. He appeared to be quite sober when he returned at night. She could not say whether she had her head in the corner of the scullery at the time her mother was on the floor. Witness' head was being bashed from side to side. Her mother tried to protect her, and said, "Do be quiet, Sam." She was sure the revolver was at her cheek, because she saw it.
Mr Brookes: I suppose you were confused and don't know whether you saw it or not. You heard the report and naturally imagined you had seen the revolver?
Witness: I am quite sure I saw it, and
I FELT IT ALONG MY CHEEK.
To Mr Widdowson: She did not see her husband after the affair occurred.
Dr. Frank Fitchett stated that he was called in at about 10 o'clock on the night of the affair to see last witness. She was lying on the bed, suffering from shock and excitement. There were three wounds on the head, one immediately behind the right ear, with a good deal of charred skin; the second wound was beneath the left eye, and the third on the back of the head on the right side — contusion and skin abrasion. Witness had her removed to a private hospital and found that the wounds behind the ear and in front of the eye were in communication. He concluded that the wound was caused by a bullet which entered the front of the ear, glanced off the bone and emerged beneath the eye. The charring was due to gunpowder. The wound at the back of the head was an abrasion, such as might have been caused by a bullet glancing over the skin. Judging by the charring of the skin, he should say the revolver was held close to the cheek.
Constable West stated that he was called to Cameron's
ON THE NIGHT OF THE TRAGEDY. In the scullery he found the body of deceased lying on the floor, face downwards. There was a bullet wound at the back of the right ear. The revolver produced was found under the body. It was a five-chambered revolver, and one cartridge was undischarged. In deceased's box witness found a box containing 32 cartridges, the same kind as the one found in the revolver. Deceased's box was locked, and witness opened it with a key found in deceased's pocket.
This concluded the evidence on Monday.
George Thom was the principal witness at the preliminary enquiry. He is a brother-in-law of deceased and a motorman on the Roslyn electric tram-line. In his evidence he said he knew deceased fairly well, and would not say that he was addicted to drink. On the night of the tragedy witness had tea with Brookes. The latter was then apparently in the best of spirits, and there did not seem to be signs of drink about him. Witness went away about 7 o'clock. Returning to the house later he heard Brookes and his wife talking in loud tones, in the scullery. Thinking the trouble would blow over, he waited near the gate, where he could be seen. He thought they would stop the quarrelling when they saw him. The row became worse, however, and deceased cried out angrily. "I have never struck you before, but I'm going to do it now." It seemed that Brookes struck his wife, then witness heard a revolver shot and screams. He rushed inside immediately, and then another shot was fired, Brookes pressing the revolver to his wife's cheek, and then firing. Deceased wheeled round as witness rushed in. Witness grappled with him, gripping him under the arms, but could not reach the hand that held the revolver. As witness caught him,
THERE WAS A THIRD SHOT. It went over witness' shoulder, and out of the door. During the struggle Brookes managed to lift ttie hand that held the revolver to his head, and just as witness threw him over there was a fourth report. Brookes fell heavily to the floor, and witness saw that he was dead.
To the Coroner: He did not think that deceased had shot himself accidentally during the struggle. Deceased seemed to be quite determined to shoot himself, and was evidently under the impression that his wife was dead; he must have seen that he had wounded her.
Asked by George Brookes (brother of deceased), if he did not think that deceased had merely fired to frighten his wife, witness said he could say nothing about the first shot, as he was outside then. But the second shot did not indicate that the firing was merely to frighten.
An altogether different part was played in the tragic affair by the next witness, David Cameron, husband of Mrs Cameron. He sat stolidly on a sofa in the kitchen, which communicates with the scullery, during all the disturbance. Not even when the shots rang out did he stir. And he quite candidly admitted that he valued his own skin too much to run into such danger. "I was frightened — anybody would be," he confessed, frankly. When the tragedy was over he crept out of the kitchen. During the quarrel his wife asked him to go and separate the couple, but he declined to interfere between husband and wife." He heard the screaming and the firing of shots, but he never moved.
"I WAS FRIGHTENED, and had more sense than to run into the mouth of that!" After the firing was over his wife told him, "Sam has fallen: he is only scheming."
George Thom was re-called on Monday, and rolled a quid of tobacco round his mouth as he kissed the book. In reply to the Coroner, he said he had no firearms on him when he went to the Camerons on the night of the tragedy. Had only his pipe and tobacco.
This concluded the evidence.
Remarking that the evidence was so clear that it did not need explaining, the Coroner summed up in about a minute and a half. After about as short an interval, the jury returned a verdict that "deceased came by his death through a bullet wound, self-inflicted, during a fit of insanity." -NZ Truth, 13/2/1909.
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