A DISTRESSING EVENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1114, 29 April 1911, Page 8

A DISTRESSING EVENT.

THE INQUEST OX RONALD BLACK. An inquest was held yesterday regarding the death of Ronald Black, aged i 17 years, son of Mr. i. \V. Black, Grove Koad, Kelburne. Mr. W. G. Kiddell, S.M., presided. Details of tho case \ woro published yesterday. Mrs. Emily Black, mother pf the lad, •■ said that- her son, to all appearances ! on Thursday, was in his usual health ; and spirits/ especially after lunch. It was twenty minutes after ho went down the passage of the house after lunch that she found tho door of the bath- ! room locked. The room was also used for other purposes. She became uncomfortable at getting no response and ! went outside and looked in the window. Tho boy was sitting anil had a strap i round his neck. Sue lost no time in gaining admission to tho room, ideas- j ing the body and doing everything j possible, with the assistance of some j neighbours, to restore animation. But i thero woro no signs of life. Drs. Mar- i tin and Herbert were called, but they \ were tillable to do anything. Mrs. i Black could assign no reason whatever < for the act. The boy had just return- \ ed from a holiday. He was in very | good health and'very happy—just a jj healthy, happy, natural youth, fond of I life. At lunch no was just as usual, and ' had been laughing and appeared happy. During the whole week ho had seemed happy and normal. He had not been overstudying. Questioned by Station-Sergeant_ Darby, witness said that sho had 'some vagtio vecollcction of the boy having onco referred to a case of hanging witnessed at a picture show. Ho had been fond of going to picture shows, but he . had not been allowed to attend often. Dr. Martin added to his formal evidence that from what he knew of tho boy from having met him previously when attending his grandfather, lie thought it quite possible ho had been experimenting. Tho Coroner: That seems self-evident. Dr. Martin; Ho might have been experimenting and gone too far, with fatal results. What lie desired to say was that it was very unusual for a healthy boy 17 years of age to get up from a good midday meal and commit suicide. Mrs. Kathcrine Collins, of Kelburne, who said sho desired to be called as a 1 witness, supplemented her evidence with '■ a statement that the deceased lad had ■ specifically told her son, who was hn ' 1 closo mate, of a picture ho had seen at a thoatro in which two boys had been suspended by a strap round thennecks, and were not killed. He had also told another boy about it when out , yachting. As soon as her own son had heard of the sad event, he had exclaim- • ed: "There, Ron., has been trying those ; tricks." Sho wished to make these j statements to assign some reason for the ! deed. At lunch sho understood tho de--1 ceased had said he had forgotten to \ bring homo some- groceries for his mother, but would remember them m I the afternoon. ■ The Coroner said he could understand 5 and appreciate the desire that nrompted 0 tho witness, but what she said did not 9 constitute evidence, being heresay matter. He, however, would instruct the police to obtain tho evidence of the two boys, deceased's playmates, as it might assist a finding, and continue tho m- » quest at 9.30 this morning.