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NOTE 8
Newspaper titled: The Belfast Gazette
And Portland and Warrnambool Advertiser
Edition date:
Friday January 14 1876
Published: Belfast
(aka Port Fairy).
Page 2. Column 4.
The usually quiet township of Winslow was the scene of unwonted excitement on Friday
evening last, when it became known that an old resident named William Latta had been
found dead in his house. The deceased, who was a farmer, seems to have been subject
to violent paroxysms of rage, and at such times to have become quite insane. At the
inquest, which was held before Mr. J. H. Craig, on Saturday, it was stated by one of
his sons that the deceased through his violent conduct had estranged his family from
him, and that he had lived by himself. He had seven or eight years ago attempted to
commit suicide by cutting his throat, and lately he had threatened to shoot one of
his children. The deceased was found lying dead on the floor of his house by a
witness named George Warrell. It appeared that Latta had tied the stock of his gun to
a plough and had attached a piece of leather to the trigger, and then by pulling the
barrel towards him must have succeeded in discharging the whole !
contents into his stomach. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the
deceased died from a gun shot wound inflicted by himself, while in a fit of temporary
insanity.
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