Thompson / Corporaal Family History

Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht ¹

   Cause of his death was Gunshot wound to the head - Suicide.

  Death Notes:

OBITUARY

RICHARD HUGO OSWALD ROEHRICHT, was born at Breslau, Silesia, [now Wroclaw, Poland] on the 8th of January, 1834, and was educated in that town. In 1848, at the early age of fourteen, he was articled to his father, an architect in Bunzlau, Prussia [now Boleslawiec, Poland], with whom he remained for six years, with the exception of a few months spent in studying at the Gewerbeschule, in Liegnitz. In 1854, although only twenty years of age, he went to Australia to seek a wider field of action for the employment of his energy than Germany could offer. After spending some months as a volunteer in the office of Mr. Leonard Terry, an architect of Melbourne, he acted for two years as draughtsman to Mr. Charles Knight, of Kilmore, Victoria, an architect and surveyor. In 1861, he went to Brisbane, to take up an appointment as a draughtsman in the Roads Branch of the Department of Public Works of Queensland. Two years afterwards he joined the Railway Department as chief draughtsman at Rockhampton, under Mr. H. T. Plews. This position he occupied until 1869, when the office was abolished, and he was appointed road surveyor.

On the recommencement of the railway works in 1872, Mr. Roehricht re-entered the railway department as chief draughtsman and assistant engineer, under Mr. Henry C. Stanley, which position he held until the date of his death. He was a loyal and indefatigable officer, and had the reputation of being one of the hardest workers in the Government service; indeed, his untimely death may be indirectly attributed to his untiring efforts to master every detail connected with his office. During his service, some eight hundred miles of railways were constructed. In 1884, Mr. Roehricht lost his wife, from which shock he never seemed entirely to recover. Three years later, finding that he was unable to concentrate his mind upon his work, he was reluctantly compelled to obtain leave of absence for nine months. He visited Germany, his native land, and returned apparently restored to health and strength. In the summer of 1889, however, he frequently complained of severe pains in the head, Indeed, his old trouble seemed to have returned, and he was again forced to take leave of absence, this time for six months. After travelling in New South Wales for four months without feeling any improvement in his health, he returned to Brisbane, where he tried a course of hydropathic treatment. Nothing, however, was able to benefit him permanently, and he died on the 30th of January, 1890.
Mr. Roehricht presented to the Institution, of which he was elected an Associate Member on the 6th of December, 1887, a Paper entitled ''The Duplication of the Railway Line between Brisbane and Ipswich, Queensland."

  Some of his life's milestones were:

He was naturalised at the Colonial Secretary's Office in 1862 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ⁶

He was employed as a Civil Servant in the Queensland Public Sevice in 1865 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Source: Queensland Public Service, Education utf0026 Work, World, 1865 | findmypast.com.au
http://search.findmypast.com.au/search/world-records/education-and-work/queensland-public-service?eventyear=1865&o=division&page=2 (Accessed Sep 25, 2018)

He signed a will on Jul 29, 1884 in Toowong, Queensland, Australia. ⁷ He bequeathed £100 to his sister Auguste Henrietta Ida Roehricht in Herischdorf near Warmbrunn, Prussia. £100 to his late wife's half sister Matilda Letitia Elizabeth Smythe of Toowong. £50 to his late wife's sister Edith Collet Hampton of Maryborough, Queensland. The balance to his Executors Charles Archibald Julius, a State School teacher of Maryborough, Queensland and John William Todd, an auctioneer of Brisbane, Queensland, to invest as they see fit. The income from the trust to be used to maintain his surviving children Oswald Hampton Roehricht, Isabel Gertrude Roehricht, Henrietta Matilda Roehricht and Hilda COnstance Roehricht.

He was residing at Church St. (Now Jephson St) between Milton Rd. & Sherwood Rd in Toowong, Queensland, Australia in 1885 ⁸ His occupation is recorded as "Chief Draftsman, S. and W. Railway, Waldon."

Newspaper article "Suicide of Mr. R. H. O. Roehricht", on Feb 2, 1890. ⁹
On the evening of Thursday, January 31, as four youths named Ernest and George Wilson; Fred. Richards, and Henry Ballard, were returning to their homes across Victoria Park,, they heard the faint crack of what seemed to them to be a pistol shot. Taking no particular notice of the circumstance they had proceeded' some -distance on their road when they were startled out of their wits by coming upon the body of a man in a sitting position, his head uncovered, and the face distinctly visible in the pale rays of the moon, with blood pouring down the left cheek. Hastening to Gregory terrace as fast as their legs could carry them, the eldest boy, Ernest Wilson, the son of an artisan residing in Boundary street, communicated the intelligence to the first police man he met. This was Constable Murphy, then upon his beat on the terrace, and who at once proceeded to the spot. He then found in a gully on the Normanby side, about 300 yards from that station, and 100 yards from the railway line, with his face turned towards it, an elderly gentleman dressed in a grey tweed suit of clothes. His hack was resting against the side of the gully, apparently in a comfortable position, and an ivory-handled nickel-plated revolver was firmly clutched in the- right hand, which had dropped to his side. The constable shook the body twice, but found life extinct. Blood was welling from a wound over the right temple, as well as from another wound in the upper portion of the mouth, and his shirt collar and coat were saturated with the fluid. Coming back to town for farther assistance, Murphy reported the matter to Senior-constable Clulow, who returned to the scene of the sad occurrence, and after examining the deceased had the body removed to the morgue. There was not the slightest indication of any struggle, and the one empty chamber of the revolver, with the other four loaded, pointed too clearly to the cause of death. Upon searching deceased's pockets the following articles were found in them: A gold watch and chain, the former then going, £2 11s. 8 1/2 d. in cash, a gold ring, an insurance receipt, five deposit slips on the Union Bank- of Australia, a season ticket from Brisbane to Toowong, one rail way pass from Brisbane to Wallangarra, a purse; small match box, letter from G M. Hiley, and a card printed R. H. O. Roehricht, and, written in a tremulous hand underneath, "Waldau, Toowong." The body was identified at the morgue by two gentlemen from the Railway Department as that of Mr. Roehricht, chief draughtsman in the railway, and the post-mortem examination held by Dr. Tilston later on, disclosed that death bad ensued from the effects of a bullet passing through the brain.
Mr. Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht entered the Government service in March, 1861, it is believed, as an officer in the Department of Public Works. In June, 1872, he entered the service of the Railway Department as chief draughtsman and assistant engineer in the chief engineer's office. This position he held up till the date of his death. He was a loyal, indefatigable, and persevering officer, who was beloved by all who came into contact with him, and his untimely decease has cast a gloom over not only the department with whom he was immediately connected, but over the many branches of tho Government service in Brisbane. He was 56 years of age, and has a family of grown-up sons and daughters. His wife died some five years ago, and it is the opinion of many of his immediate friends that he has never quite recovered from the shock. He had the reputation of being one of the hardest workers In the whole Government service, and it is to his untiring endeavours to master every detail connected with his office, that his untimely decease may be indirectly attributed. Some two years ago he found that he was unable to concentrate his mind upon his work, and was reluctantly compelled to obtain leave of absence for a term of nine months He spent this time in visiting his native land, Germany, and returned at the end of his leave, apparently quite restored to health and strength. Six months ago, however, his old trouble returned, and be frequently complained of severe pain in his head. He again was forced to take leave of absence for six months/and his office work during that time was taken by Mr. Gartside. During his last leave he spent about four months travelling in New South Wales, but without feeling any improvement in his health. He then returned to Brisbane and placed himself under the care of Dr. Southern, at his Hydropathic establishment, Wickham terrace, where a underwent a course of hydropathy. His leave expired yesterday morning, and he yesterday called upon the chief engineer and notified his intention of resuming his duties on that date. He afterwards had a conversation with Mr. Hamilton, chief clerk of the chief engineer's department, and during the talk he said that he was feeling very unwell, and was becoming despondent. He also said that he had arrived at such a state that he almost felt as if he could take his life. Mr. Hamilton attached no importance to these words, as he considered they were but the natural outcome of the unfortunate gentleman's condition. The chief engineer (Mr. H. C. Stanley), visited the morgue for the purpose of identifying the body. When the news reached him of the death of so old and valued an officer of his department, Mr. Stanley was visibly affected, and for some minutes was quite overcome with his emotions. At all the departments of the Government service universal regret is expressed. A son of the deceased gentleman is in the engineer's department, where he is employed as a surveyor.
The funeral of Mr. R. H. O. Roehricht, took place on Saturday afternoon. The body of the deceased gentleman was taken from his residence, Waldan, Church Street, Toowong, to St. Thomas's Church, where a portion of the Church of England burial service was read by the Rev. E. L. Salisbury. The funeral cortege then moved slowly on to the Toowong cemetery, where the body was interred. A large number of officers of the Railway Department attended the funeral, and the drafting staff, who were all present, placed a beautiful wreath of choice white flowers on the grave of their late chief. Among those present were the Chief Engineer of the Southern and Central Division, Mr. H. C. Stanley; the general traffic manager, Mr J. F. Thallon; the district engineer, Mr. A. 0. Raff; the chief clerk, Mr. Arthur Hamilton; the inspecting surveyor, Mr. R. North; Mr. E. P. Tregurtha, chief accountant. Several officers from the other Government departments were also present, including Mr. W. L. G. Drew, chairman of the Civil Service Board; Mr. R. Robertson, Acting Under Secretary for Works; Mr. F. Curnow, late Commissioner for Railways, and Mr. George Phillips, late inspecting surveyor of the Railway Department.

There was a Judicial Inquest into Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht apparent suicide in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ⁴

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 31^st 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, £2 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.

Richard married Isabel Matilda Collet Hampton, daughter of Capt. Frederic Blagg Hampton and Matilda Stratfold, on Oct 3, 1863 in Kalooloo, Queensland, Australia.^{1 2} (Isabel Matilda Collet Hampton was born on Jan 21, 1844 in March, Cambridgeshire, England ¹⁰, baptised on Mar 2, 1846 in March, Cambridgeshire, England,¹¹ died on Aug 22, 1883 in Toowong, Queensland, Australia ^{12 13} and was buried in Aug 1883 in Toowong, Queensland, Australia.). The cause of her death was Plastic Bronchitis.

  Marriage Notes:

The newspaper article cites the location as Kalooloo but this name is not known today.