Suicide
DUNEDIN, Dec. 24
Edward Royston Bradshaw, rabbit skin merchant, Jetty Street, this morning blew out his brains in the store. Deceased was seen at a quarter to seven, and he then appeared in his usual condition. Two hours later his corpse was discovered with the top of the head blown off, and a magazine rifle beside him. On the body was a letter to his wife, and a note, the latter bidding good-bye to all. Deceased was 36 years of age. He had been five years in the 6th dragoons as a private, and two years in the police force. An inquest will be held to-day. -South Canterbury Times, 24/12/1887.
A STRANGE-CASE OF SUICIDE.
Edward Royston Bradshaw, a rabbitskin merchant, who carried on business in Jetty street, committed suicide on Saturday morning by shooting himself. At about a half past 6'oclock the deceased called at the Pier Hotel for the keys of his premises. This was his custom. At this time he seemed to be in his usual health, and nothing remarkable was observed in his appearance or demeanour. At 9 o'clock the office boy, Roger Lee, arrived to look after his ordinary duties, but on going to the door found it locked on the inside. This led to the police being communicated with, and Constable Cruickshank, on peering under the door of the stores — there being an opening of about an inch between the bottom of the door and the step, — saw a body on the floor. The constable at once forced an entrance, and found deceased lying face downward on a pile of rabbitskins, with the top of the skull blown away and an Austrian magazine rifle by his side. The bullet had entered by the right eye and came out at the top of the head. Death must have been instantaneous; as the brains were strewn about the floor. On searching the body the police found a letter addressed to Mrs Bradshaw (who was at Moeraki for a holiday), and also a note in deceased's handwriting, but without signature, stating that "these wretched things" had caused him to do this, and bidding good-bye to all. Deceased was 36 years of age, an Englishman, and had served six years as a private in the Sixth Dragoons, from which he was discharged with the highest credit. He had also been in the Otago police force for about a year, during part of which time he was stationed at Palmerston. He leaves a widow and three children,
THE INQUEST.
The inquest was held at the Pier Hotel in the afternoon before Coronor Carew and a jury of six.
Constable Cruickshank stated that he identified the body as that of Edward Royston Bradshaw. He was a native of England, and was rabbitskin merchant by occupation. His office was in Jetty street. By papers found on the premises, it appeared that he was 36 years of age, and that he had at one time been in the Sixth Dragoon Guards, and later on in the Otago police force. He was a married man. At 9.20 that morning, from something witness heard, he went to deceased's store and found the door locked on the inside. Witness looked under one of the door and saw a body lying inside. He burst open the door and found deceased's body lying at full length, face downward. There was a large wound on the top of the head, part of the skull being blown away and the brains partly protruding and partly scattered about the floor and wall. A sporting rifle lay close by the body, with the muzzle under it and the deceased's hands holding the muzzle. The body, which was fully dressed, was still warm. The rifle had been recently discharged, and there was an empty cartridge case in the breech. There was a mark on the wall where the bullet had struck after going through deceased's head, and on the floor below were two pieces of skull. The bullet had gone in at the right eye and out all the top of the head. The wounds could have been caused by a shot from the rifle produced. On searching the office witness found on the writing desk an unsigned note, written by deceased in pencil, as follows: — "These are the wretched things that killed me; I must say good-bye to all." There was in a pocket book in a coat hanging up in the office a letter written by him, as follows: — "My darling wife, — I must tear myself away from you and the poor darlings. God will never forgive me for deceiving you and my very best friends. I have had chances to do well, but not enough will to withstand temptation. Please give Morris the picture of Lake Wakatipu in exchange for the two likenesses he did. God bless you, darling. Oh, how happy you would have made a good man with your industry, love, and happy disposition, good-bye, darling, for ever. I have had a devil within me prompting me to suicide for along time, and I shall go mad if I live. Bring the children up to forgive me if they can. I cannot hope, even on the verge of death, for you, darling, to forgive me; having given you no pleasure, and been very unkind to you." There was no date to the letter, which was written in ink, and it was not signed. There was the sum of L3 9s l0d in one of of deceased's pockets.
Colin Macandrew stated that he had known deceased intimately. The two notes produced appeared to be in his handwriting. Witness last saw him alive at about 11 o'clock. He went home with witness at 6.30 p.m. in a tram, and spent the evening there. There was nothing unusual in his manner or conversation. Witness at times was despondent on account of business not being very flourishing, but he was often cheerful enough. He was a very temperate man. Witness had never heard him say that he contemplated suicide; in fact he used to say it was a cowardly thing to do. Witness had heard a few months ago that deceased had attempted suicide, but did not know that it was a fact. At that time witness knew that deceased was suffering from inflammation of the lungs and was delirious. He leaves a wife and three children, who are at present staying at Moeraki, to which place they went on Thursday. He told witness last week that had intended going up to Moeraki that afternoon. Deceased had no special care taken of him after the rumoured attempt on his life some months ago. He was at times excitable, but witness never noticed eccentricities about his behaviour. He had never suffered from sunstroke in India and he had never, to witness' knowledge, been in India. Witness knew that deceased kept a rifle at his office. He had made all arrangements for going to Moeraki, including packing up some of his things.
Inspector Weldon stated that deceased was enlisted as a police-constable in October 1873. He was a specially smart and intelligent officer. On September 1, 1876, he left the force, saying that he had been left a few hundred pounds, and went into business. Witness often saw and conversed with him since then. In consequence of a suspicion that he had attempted his life a few months ago, witness got his revolver taken possession of Witness was not surprised to hear of his death that morning, for he had strange ways with him; he seemed flighty and absent-minded at times.
The Jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died from the effects of a gunshot wound, self-inflicted while in a state of temporary insanity. -Otago Daily Times, 26/12/1887.
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