SUICIDE BY FIRE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 61, 5 June 1942, Page 5

SUICIDE BY FIRE

MAORI WOMAN'S DEATH

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

Details surrounding the death of the Maori woman Nora Teua who took her own life last Monday by setting her clothing alight after having first saturated them with kerosene, were learnt at the inquest which was held! at Te Teko last Wednesday before the District Coroner, Mr G. Brabant.

KakahC' Teua, the husband; of the deceased, described how his wife had been depressed; sincc he went to a dance on the Saturday evening and came home late. She had locked herself in her room all day on Monday and had threatened suicide by burning. At one 1 time he hadi actually discovered her taking the top off a two gallon drum of benzine in the shed by the house but had managed to take this from her and hide it. She had been in poor health for some time and had had medical attention. About 5.30 p.m. on Monday) he (witness) had left home on hisi bicycle to buy some groceries from Te Teko'. He left his wife locked in her room as she 1 had been all day. When he returned about 7 p.m. lie was sitting quietly in the kitchen when his wife spoke to him. Judging from her voice that something was wrong he had' tried: to force the 1 door but the lock would not give. He then went to> the front of the house and peered through the window into the darkness of the room. He could hear liiss wife* moving about and called to her to open the window. This she declined to do so

<1% 'Hj> "%> "Tjfri he had broken the glass himself and put his hand through to take hold of the latch. Immediately- the room was illuminated, by a glow of fire by which he saw that his wife's clothing were aflame. Talking in the Maori tongue, she ran to the window and,, he had dragged her through burning his hands in the process. Witness: described his frantic efforts to smother the llames which he said had by now almost enveloped the deceased. From his own calculation his wife had died within a few minutes of being dragged outside. She had been extensively burned and he had then gone across; to neighbours; for assistance. He thought his Avife must have found the bottle of kerosene during his absence and, carried out her threat of suicide. Edward Insley Hall, a neighbour, described his arrival l on the scene after having been summonsed by Kakahei Tcua. The woman was then dead and. terribly burned. Sergeant Farrell bore out, the story, staling further that there wore, no, suspicions circumstances loading to suppose that the deceased had met her death in any other way than the manner described. Deceased had left two- tetters one of which dear's" indiea'ed her intention of taking her life. The police had, also ascertained thai she had made, similar threats on previous occasions, and Mint ol recent wceKs she had been under a .severe menial strain. The coroner's: finding was to the. eHoct I ha!; deceased committed suicide by the means above described, while in a depressed.; meulai state. S r ,!!—-!■ II 111 I || || nil |Hil W| 111 II ■ WM