TOPIC:

Catching up on transcribing news articles, I was struck by the coincidence of three suicides taking place over 2 days, with two of them being from the Royal Irish Fusiliers.

25th February

"On Sunday night a private in the Royal Irish Fusiliers, named John White, cut his throat with a razor in his bunk. White was a native of Wexford, and leaves a widow and five children."
The Keighley News, Saturday 3rd March 1900
[No death of a John White recorded in Aldershot, but a 40 year-old John White's death was recorded in the neighbouring Farnham registration district for that quarter]

26th February

"A colour-sergeant of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, named Evans, committed suicide at Aldershot, on Monday afternoon, by discharging his rifle into his head. The deceased was under orders to leave for South Africa. He was a married man and on the militia staff."
The Holmfirth Express, Saturday 3rd March 1900
[Charles Evans's death was recorded in the Farnham registration district, aged 32]

"Private Moffat, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, committed suicide at Aldershot on Monday. The deceased, who is an Australian, only enlisted in the corps a couple of months since. He entered the Royal Exchange at ten o'clock, and called for 6d. worth of whisky. He wrote a letter in a side parlour, after which he pulled out a revolver and shot himself in the head. He was under orders for Africa, and had £80 in his possession."
The Keighley News, Saturday 3rd March 1900
[William David Moffatt's death was recorded in the Farnham registration district, aged 30]