HOLBROOK TRAGEDY – A YOUTH’S REMORSE – Taunts and Fear of Exposure

HOLBROOK TRAGEDY – A YOUTH’S REMORSE – Taunts and Fear of Exposure

A distressing case of suicide has occurred at Holbrook, Walter Wainwright, aged 18, shooting himself with a gun. He lived with his parents in New street, Holbrook. and was collier working at Norwood.

 

On returning from work on Wednesday morning, it is alleged, he and two companions broke into shop kept by Mrs. Humphrey Leah on the Station road. Owing, it stated, to a similar attempt the previous day, however, William Leah, the son, was in waiting, and caught Wainwright.

 

As police court proceedings were pending the deceased took the matter very much to heart, though later went down to apologise to Mrs. Leah.

 

A Gunshot.

 

On Thursday night he got ready for work and alter wishing his mother the customary Goodnight,” went out as usual, she thought, to work. He had, however, apparently taken out secretly a double-barrelled gun, which he bought ,some time ago, and shortly afterwards a neighbour, hearing the report of a gun, went out and found the young man lying near the which runs close to the house, with blood streaming from him.

 

She raised an alarm, and Dr. J. Adam was summoned, but could only pronounce that Leah was dead.

 

The deceased must have placed the muzzle of the gun to his breast and, leaning upon it, pressed trigger with his foot. ” The youth preferred to die rather than meet the charge against him,” was how the District Coroner (Dr. A. Green) summed up the position at the inquest yesterday.

 

The father, George Wainwright. a stall man, residing at 32, New street, Holbrook, said his son had been worried lately, as he had been arrested on a charge of stealing cigarettes or chocolate from a shop opposite the Holbrook Colliery.

 

A Candle Light on the Bank.

 

On Thursday night, said the father, they saw candle burning at the side of brook close to the house, and his wife, who said she heard a noise and believed Walter had shot himself, accompanied him outside.

 

Near the brook they found the deceased, who had been shot, and he died within a few minutes. The gun, the father explained, belonged to his son, who purchased it about the time of the miners’ strike. had no licence, and witness could not say what he used it for.

 

Police-sergeant Williams, of Halfway, said the deceased was dead when he arrived, and he found that the charge had passed into the stomach.

 

Witness added that he arrested three lads, including the deceased, Wednesday, and they were remanded until Monday. The lad had a good character.

 

In reply to Mr. E. G. Roberts (a juror), the officer said he had heard that the deceased had been taunted about the case the lads in the pit, and that had probably upset him.

 

The jury returned verdict of suicide whilst temporarily insane.