Page 2 Advertisements Column 2

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 88, 17 April 1880, Page 2

Too Bad.—A man named William Hayward Smith adopted a peculiar method of attempting to frighten his wife (from whom ho was separated) at Napier, the other day. The man got very drunk, and went and sat down outside his, wife’s gate. He told one of his children to go and fetch his wife, whom he said he wished to see very particularly. On her arrival he took out a paper from his pocket containing powder and swallowed it, telling her he had taken poison. She at once sent for the police, who took him to the lock-up. The matter-of-fact police officer in charge, however, refused to send for .a doctor until he saw the poison begin to “ work. ” This consummation was never reached, and the prisoner was brought in a repentant state before the Resident Magistrate the next morning, and fined for drunkenness.