SUICIDE OF A FIREMAN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 93, 14 January 1919, Page 6

SUICIDE OF A FIREMAN

WORRIED OVER TROUBLE WITH BOYS "AN AWFULLY FOOLISH THING" Depression as the resuVs of a dispute with some boys wa6 the only reason, that was assigned l at the inquest' held yesterday concerning the suicide of a married man named Goorge Adams, 44 years of age, whose bodj was found on Sunday morning hanging, in tlid bakehouse of the Automatic Bakeries, Tnranaki Street, .where lie was employed as a fireman. The inquiry was conducted by Mr. W. G ltidfioil, S.M. Sergeant AVoodley nppeared for the police. Evidence was given by Walter Browne, foreman baker at the Automatic Bakeries, that ho hnd known deceased for three or four years. Deceased suffered from influenza during the epidemic, but otherwise never complained of ill-health. He was of a. cheerful disposition, and, as far as witness knew, had no worries. Witness last saw him alive about 7 o'clock oii Saturday morning, when he was leaving the bakehouse. Deceased then remarked that he would see witness on Sunday morning. Witness arrived at the Automatic Bakeries about ■ 9.30 a.m. on Sunday, and a quarter of an hour later he went into the bakehouse, where ho found a note, written in pencil, on the table. The note read as follows: "To my dear wife.—l cannot face you again. Kiss the children for me." At the time witness did hot take any notice of the note, as he thought it was a joko. However, in the bakehouse lie found deceased suspended from a rafter. He was quite dead, and" was hanging by a wire rope. Witness at once telephoned for the police. Deceased at no time indicated that he meditated'committing suicide.-Ellen-lAdams, deceased's widow, stated that'her late husband had always been of a cheerful disposition. He seemed to have quite recovered from tlie attack of influenza- which he contracted about two months ago. "Witness was not aware that deceased had any financial worries. He was a temperate man. On Friday night.deccased complained that ho had been annoyed by some boys. Ho had got into conflict with them, and received a black eye.' This seemed to worry him a good deal for on Saturday morning he spoke about the ni&tter after re* turning home from work. "I could stand it if they were -men," he remarked; "but I cannof take it-from boys. I am old enough to be their father." He-vvpnt out at about 11 a.m. on Saturday, and snid he would be home about noon. In the afternoon, however, he did not return, and witness never saw him again. Witness could not account for deceased having .taken bis life, .except that he was worried by his dispute w v ith the boys. To tho coroner: Sho was not. sure whether the writing iu the note was her husband's'. It was like his writing; but be wrote a small hand.

Constable Gunn testified to removing the body from the bakehouse. He said the wire vope by which deceased hung was fixed to a beam about nine feet from the floor. With the exception of a black mark under the left eye there were no qtlier evidences of deceased having suffered violence. The coroner said that the trouble ivith the boys was of no great importance, and ono would not have thought that it would have made such a great impression on deceased's lnind. But apparently that was the' only thing that was worrying him. It seemed to be an awfully foolish thing for a man to take his life owing to worry arising from gnch circumstances as those• narrated by deceased's widow. However, the fact that lie did take his life could not be accounted for in any other way. Ho had evidently magnified the importance of" the occurrence, and while in a temporary state oS mental depression committed.suicide. A verdict was returned that decease ed committed suicide while suffering from temporary mental depression.