EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1236, 6 November 1885, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.

An inquest baa b en held in Wellington ;on a young German named Sehmoranz who committed suicide, principally, it would seem, because he was disappointed ’by the non-arrival of a remittance he was expecting from his father in Germany. Some very extraordinary evidence was given by Mrs Strike, wife of a cordial manufacturer, for whom deceased was working She stated that Sehmoranz formerly resided in witness’s boarding house in Courtenay place. .He appeared to- he a clever young doctor, and had prescribed on more than one occasion for, witness. Dp to the day of his death, deceased was in good spirits. About a week since deceased took some poison, but he did not inform her why he had done so, except that he told her he was practicing. He made a joke of the matter. On Monday he had dinner a little after noon, and was in excellent spirits. After dinner he held a little phial np to witness, and remarked that his money would be thereat two o’clock.. The bottle contained aom« white stuff, and was quite full. He said it was poison. He told her that he had been to Fitzgerald, the lawyer, and that he would poison him (Fitzgerald) and himself ton if Fitzgerald did not give him his money. Deceased stated to witness that Mr Fitzgerald held a bank draft in his (deceased’s) favor. Sehmoranz added that he had to go to Mr Fitzgerald’s office at two o’clock that day. Deceased, when he showed witness the bottle, took off the red label with his teeth, and would not allow witness to see where the poison had been purchased, Sehmoranz then went into his bedroom, and witness, apprehensive that he would do himself some harm, followed him, and saw him with soma white substance in the palm of his hand. He told witness that he had got the poison, which he said was strychnine, from Mr Mee, chemist. The reason be assigned for taking the poison was that he liked to see the long faces they pulled. He then came into the kitchen, and, in the presence of herself and Mr and Mrs Monk, he swalowed the poison. Witness then went into the drug room of the factory, and informed Mr Strike of what had occurred. Deceased, after saying “ Yon will find a letter somewhere,” added “ I am going to Fitzgerald and will come hack and show you the money.” Deceased then left the house. Witness and the Monks thought the man was joking and would soon return. About half an hour after Sehmoranz left the house her husband returned, and almost simultaneously Mr Tuskin arrived and informed them be had picked up deceased, who was in a fit, in Cambridge terrace. De ceased was pressed for money, and gave her husband a cheque, drawn in favor of Mr G. A. Strike, some days ago, for L 450, which was dishonored. The cheque was for money owed to Mr Strike and other pers ms. The coroner, in summing np, remarked that it seemed to him a most cool, if not callous, proceeding on the part of those persons who saw the deceased take the poison, and who also saw it on his tongue. No doubt Mr Strike, feeling he had been wronged by the deceased, w.s disgusted. The jury could, if they felt disposed, add a verdict to this effect The jury found a verdict that the d?ceased committed suicide while in a state of temporary insanity.