THE LATE SUICIDE AT AHAURA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1443, 17 March 1873, Page 2

THE LATE SUICIDE AT AHAURA.

[to the editor.] Sir — In common with every inhabitant, outside the circle of officialdom, in this district, I have been patiently waiting to see what step 3 the so-called head of the police force in the Province of Nelson would take with reference to the death of tlie unfortunate man Hendrickson, who is alleged to have to have taken his own life while under arrest as a lunatic, at Ahaura,someweeksago. The circumstances of the case, as they came out at the inquest, disclosed on the one hand a scandalous negligence on the part; of the Nelson Government in not providing some decent apology for the accommodation and classification of prisoners, and on the other, hand a total ignorance or criminal neglect of their duties on the part of the police was made painfully evident. The deceased was, after a search, arrested almost in the- act of attempting to take his own life ; he was brought to Ahaura, and in searching him sufficient evidence taken in connection with his confession to the police was found to lead anyone bat a Nelson policeman to suspect that he would again attempt to murder himself or someone else. Instead of sending; for a medical man to examine the lunatic, and give instructions for his treatment, he was herded in the same apartment with another man, who was presumedly innocent, for he had not then been tried for the offence with which he was charged. The policeman in charge of the station takes it upon himself to hold a medical and magisterial examination of the patient, he finds that the prisoner is not insane, and he promises him that he will be discharged and work found for him if he behaves himself for the future. The result is that the unfortunate madman, as soon as the eagle eye of his inquisitor is taken off him, hangs himself as certainly and effectively as if the means of doing so were purposely placed within his reach. I have some knowledge of the working and discipliue of the police force in the old country, and I fearlessly assert that if such a catastrophe had occurred in England, every man iv the division in which it had taken place, from the Inspector downwards, would be instantly suspended until the strictest aud fullest inquiry had been held by the police authorities, independent of any proceedings taken by the coroner or magistrate. This procedure is invariably followed, aud I refer to any person who has ever been connected with the police force in Great Britain or Ireland for a confirmation of the statement. The police received intimation from his friends at Half Ounce, some time before Hendrickson was arrested, that he was insane, and this does away with the plea of ignorance of the man's condition after he was arrested. When the man was brought to Ahaura, why was he not brought before a Magistrate or Justice of the Peace 1 As there are a Magistrate and a Justice of the Peace resident in town, a prisoner could always be brought before the Court in a case of emergency. What right has any policeman to be guilty of the gross presumption of taking upon himself the part of medical examiner of the insane, and the duties of the Magistrate at the same time ? This question is asked at every turn, how did the man get possession of the rope with which he committed the fatal act 1 If the police performed their duties as efficiently as they, in this case, usurped the functions of doctor and magistrate, every article likely to be used by a cunning lunatic to injure himself | or others would be removed from his reach, and extra caution should be used in this instance when there was not a proper place of confinement for such unfortunate sufferers. Instead of doing this, the man was permitted the use of knives and other dangerous weapons, he had access to all parts of the premises, and the police, on their own responsi- i bilifcy, were actually going to allow him the use of an axe to chop wood, or to inflict any injury his pn'ir weakened brain might imagine. The outraged feelings of Mie public demand that this matter should l>e fully inquired into, and adeq i tto punishment inflicted on those who are ro blame morally for this man's death. Trusting you will use your, powerful influence towards effecriiiif ihis object, I am, etc., Minqs. Ahaure , March 14,