Richard Hugo Oswald ROEHRICHT [14897]

   Cause of his death was by suicide.

  General Notes:

Richard was Assistant Engineer of Railways Queensland.
He was allegedly distraught by the death of his wife and sadly took his own life after her death.

MR. ROEHRICHT'S DEATH.
MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.The Magisterial inquiry into the cause of death of Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht, Who was found dead, with a bullet wound in his head, in the Victoria Park on the night of the 30th January last was commenced at the City Police Court yesterday afternoon before Mr G. P. M. Murray. P.M. Sergeant Taylor conducted the inquiry, and elicited the following evidence:-
Dr J. Binns Southam, of Wickham-terrace, deposed that he had known the deceased for four of five years. He had been living in his house for the last five weeks. He had a mania that he must commit suicide in order to save his family from poverty. He had suffered this way for about two years He thought that the Railway Department were going to dispense with his services. Witness last saw him alive about 9 o'clock on the morning of the 30th January last. The deceased did not ask him for any cartridges, neither did witness give him any. He found a box of cartridges ( produced) in a drawer in the room which the deceased had occupied. The deceased had made arrangements to return to work on the 3rd instant, and had also decided to be treated as an out-patient of witness's establishment. The deceased very seldom spoke of his mania, and it was his custom to go for walks in the evenings.
Constable John. R. Murphy stated that about half past 10 on the evening of the 30th January last in consequence of a report which two boys named Ernest Wilson and Henry Ballard made to him, he went to a spot in the Victoria Park near the Normandy railway station where he saw the body of a man in a sitting posture was quite dead, and there was a bullet wound In the head. In his right hand was a small revolver, and blood was exuding from his mouth Witness reported the matter to Senior-constable Cinlow, and afterwards conveyed the body to the Morgue, where Dr Tilston made a post- mortem examination and where the body was identified. He had examined the revolver and had found that four chambers were loaded and one had been discharged. There were no marks of a struggle having occurred near the place where the body was found. He could not find the bullet.
James Gartside, assistant engineer in the Railway Department said that he had known the deceased for thirteen years. He last saw him alive on the 29th January last, in the Engineer's Office at the Roma-street station He appeared to be in good health and seemed in better spirits than he had been for the last six months. He complained of his head, but never threatened to commit suicide. He intended to resume work last Monday. Witness identified the body in the morgue last Friday as that of Mr Roehricht. The deceased was looked upon as a very valuable servant, and had been twenty-five years in the Government service
Dr Tilston, Government Medical officer, de-posed that he made the post-mortem examination of the body of the deceased on the 31st January last. He found the gunshot wound entering at the right temple, passing through the brain, through the back of the orbit to the roof of the nose. This was the cause of death. He did not find the ball, but supposed that it had fallen down the nose. The wound was self-inflicted, as part of the temple-bone was charred with powder.
Ernest Wilson said that he was in the Victoria Park with Henry Ballard, Joseph Wilson, and Frederick Richards on the night of the 30th January. About half-past 10, while sitting round a fire, he heard some one talking, and on going up the hill, saw a young man and a girl sitting together under a tree. On going a little further up, he saw the body of a man in a sitting posture with a revolver in his right hand and blood over his face and clothes. He returned to his companions and afterwards reported the matter to Constable Murphy. He heard no shot fired during the evening.
Senior-constable Clulow gave corroborative evidence, and produced a gold watch and chain, a gold ring, L2 10s. 8½d. in cash, a season ticket from Brisbane to Toowong, railway pass from Brisbane to Wallangarra, five deposit slips, a fire insurance receipt, two keys, a silver matchbox, a purse, a knife, some stamps, and several papers, all of which he found in the possession of the deceased.
At this stage the inquiry was adjourned for a week.
Ref: The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Friday 7 & Saturday 15 February 1890

The following probates and administrations have been granted: Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht, of Toowong, near Brisbane, civil engineer, L3767 6s; executors, Charles Archibald Julius, of Maryborough, teacher, and J. W. Todd, of Brisbane, auctioneer.

Richard married Isabel Matilda Collet HAMPTON [14888] [MRIN: 5280], daughter of Sir Capt Frederick Blagg HAMPTON K.I.C. B.A.L. [4927] and Matilda Collet STRATFOLD [4928], in 1863 in Brisbane Queensland Aust. (Isabel Matilda Collet HAMPTON [14888] was born on 21 Jan 1844 in Eglantine Villa March Ely CAM and died on 22 Aug 1883 in Waldon Toowong QLD.). The cause of her death was plastic bronchitis.