His mother and sister were out spending the evening with a relation.
The servant deposed that she heard him enter the front room on the second floor, generally used as his sitting-room.
She had lit a fire there, and as it smoked she had opened the window.
No sound was heard from the room until eleven-twenty, the hour of the return of Lady Maynooth and her daughter.
Desiring to say good-night, she had attempted to enter her son's room.
The door was locked on the inside, and no answer could be got to their cries and knocking.
Help was obtained and the door forced.
The unfortunate young man was found lying near the table.
His head had been horribly mutilated by an expanding revolver bullet, but no weapon of any sort was to be found in the room.
On the table lay two bank-notes for ten pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in silver and gold, the money arranged in little piles of varying amount.