Tragedy at Governor's Bay.
A MAN SHOOTS HIMSELF
Christchurch, July 23
A tragedy occurred at Governor's Bay on Saturday evening, when a married man named James Pope, the father of six little girls, committed suicide by blowing his head off with a double barrelled gun before the eyes of his fourteen year old daughter, Annie.
Mrs Jane Pope, wife of the deceased, informed the police that her husband was forty-one years of age, and that there were six little girls, whose ages range from three to sixteen years. Her husband had been complaining of ill-health for some time past, and about two months ago he consulted Dr Upham, of Lyttelton, who wanted him to go into the Lyttelton Casualty Ward for treatment. Pope refused to do so, and since then had been complaining of illness from time to time. Mrs Pope states that about two years ago her husband fell out of a cart and sustained injuries to his head. He frequently threatened to commit suicide, and on one occasion, while under the influence of drink, he made an attempt to shoot himself, but failed, the shot going through the roof of the house. Pope and his family lived in a little cottage at Governor's Bay on a few acres of land, which he cultivated as a market garden. -Ashburton Guardian, 23/7/1906.
Further details of the tragedy at Governor's Bay on Saturday evening show that Pope, who is the father of six little girls, committed suicide by blowing his head off with a double-barrelled gun before the eyes of his fourteen-year-old-daughter, Annie. On Saturday afternoon he went shooting on the Cashmere hills, and returned home in the evening. Missing his wife, who had gone out to look for him, he reached home before her, and being met at the door by his little daughter, Annie, asked the child where her mother was. The girl replied that her mother was out, and he then said he wanted to say "Good-bye," as he was going to shoot himself. He walked to the end of the house, and the little girl saw him put the muzzle of the gun m his mouth and press the trigger with the toe of his boot. The charge exploded, shattering the skull and blowing his brains out. The little girl, horrified, rushed down the road, and met her mother coming in, and meanwhile the neighbors, attracted by the report of the gun, hurried to the house, and found the man lying dead. The child said her father did not seem to be the worse for liquor. About two years ago Pope fell out of a cart, and sustained injuries to his head. He frequently threatened to commit suicide, and on one occasion, while he was under the influence of drink, he made an attempt to shoot himself, but failed, the shot going through the roof of the house. An inquest was held at Lyttelton this afternoon, at which a verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned. -Poverty Bay Herald, 24/7/1906.
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