Tragic Death at Melbourne.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 309, 8 June 1889, Page 4

Tragic Death at Melbourne.

Melbourne. May 18. Sergeant-Major Charles Fector Robinson, of the recently formed corps of Victorian Volunteer Rangers, committed suicide at the Eastern Hill Orderly Room last evening, by shoothimself through the head with a rifle. It appears that the deceased was formerly a corporal in A Company of the 2nd Battalion Militia Rifles, in which he served for about four years. Some months ago he was promoted to the rank of sergeant-major in the Ararat Company of Victorian Rangers. On Thursday last he arrived in Melbourne from Ararat, having been called upon to report himself at headquarters. Yesterday morning he attended drill at the Victorian Barracks St. Kilda-road, and subsequently was informed by his superior officer that he was dismissed from the service. In the afternoon he visited some comrades at the Eastern Hill Orderly Room,and abouts.2o,the report of firearms being heard in the non-commis-sioned officers’ room, and there it was found that Robinson had shot himself. He was lying on the floor, with his body against the legs of a chair. The right side of the head was blown away; the nose was slit up and partly torn away with a portion of the skull; the brain was exposed and hanging out of the skull, and portions of this organ were spattered over the wall and ceiling of the room, which were also blackened with gunpowder. A rifle was lying under the deceased, the butt being at his feet and the barrel beneath his body. A piece of twine |was tied to the trigger of the rifle and then looped round the deceased’s boot. It would seem that he sat upon a chair, placed the muzzle of the rifle to his head, and then pulled the trigger with his foot, The bullet, which had evidently passed through his head, lodged finally in the wooden portion of the room, but was prevented from piercing it by a coating of iron on the other side. The rifle was lying unloaded in the room when the deceased entered the apartment. "When Robinson was discovered he was still breathing. Dr A. Morrison, who resides close by in Albert-street, was at once sent for, but on his arrival found the man dead. The police was then communicated with, and Sergeant Davison and a constable removed the body to the morgue. The deceased was about 38 years of age and leaves a wife and two children. Three letters written in pencil on sheets of foolscap were found on the person of the deceased after his death, One was addressed to bis wife, and was as follows • — My dear old Lil,—Forgive me tor what I *m about to do, I cannot face out of work again, I may be a coward—l am—but I cannot. Yet you will be better off without ms. Uncle Irving will surely see your passage home paid, and when once there the good faithful wife of Charlie Robinson will, I am sure, find a shelter in Guernsey. I am discharged for nothing—eimply nothing, I have credited men with parades who attended when there was no drill on, and have given them credit next drill. Lota of sergeantmajors do the same thing, but they have not aF——, or a L or a m?an hound of a Ji to deal with, L—— told Brownrigg that I, who had spared no time or pains to make a company of Ararat, was entirely unfit for my position. He did not say anything about the time wheu he and G got tight together, and I had to manage the parade. My dear, I dare not face yon, We have faced trouble together, but the time seems to have come when you will do batter without me. My dear father will guard you from harm, as I would have done had I been able. My pay up to the 23nd would come to 22 days at 8s 6d—£9 12s 6d

The deceased then gave details regarding certain travelling expenses, which he said would make up £2 15s , and he concluded the letter by bidding good-bye to his wife and children. He added a postscript to the effect that in his pocket was a warrant which would carry his wife and children back to Melbourne. The letter was addressed on the back, “ Mrs Robinson, widow of Sergeant-Major Robinson, Ararat,” to which was added the sentence, “ I’ll die with my stripes on.” The warrant alluded to was fou.nd in one of his pockets. A second letter was addressed to Professor Irving. It was thus Dear Uncle,—lf possible, please try and send Lil home to Guernsey.—CKaaua & O bikBON.

The third letter was addressed: “To the Ararat men from SergeantMajor Robinson,” and was in the following terms

Dur Lads,—l have striven to do my dut y by you, but am pruPbuuoed a failure v.d successor, M’ Manus, ir. a IwHm n thugs pleasant I have offended any of you, man " e ' 1 5111,8 dona beat > 40 11 n 0 -n do more. Adjutant L—— b.»s gone Jr of bis way to drive me io despar ation. aere las mean a sneak as he, I cauls) show up bis ways in a startling manner, Goodbys lads one and all,—Charlie Rodin* on. The deceased is said to have, been connected in some way with th e newspaper press before be the military forces,