ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1930, Page 2

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

RESCUERS RESISTED. AUCKLAND, January 25. ' A plea of guilty to a charge of attemtping to commit suicide was entered by Oscar George Harvey, aged about 28, before Mr Woodward, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. “I’m not yet in a position to present the true facts,” ’ said Sub-Inspector M’Carthy. “This man jumped into the harbour and made a deliberate attempt to commit suicide, offering strenuous resistance to being taken from the water.”

On the recommendation of the police Harvey was remanded for medical examination. About seven o’clock last evening Mr and Airs S Jackson were sitting on the steps at the shore end of the Ponsouby pier at Herne Bay conversing with Mr Colson, an elderly neighbour, when a strange-lookiog man strolled past and walked down the long pier, seating himself by the pile end of the pier. Mr and Airs Jackson strolled along the pier and when half way down the strange man appeared to deliberately ; i ■ nto the water. Mr Jackson di in and his wife threw a life buoy. “AA’hen I reached the man” said Air Jackson to. an interviewer, lie gasped ‘Let me die.’ He got his arms round

me and said: ‘Friend avo’l (lie together.” As Air Jackson endeavoured to bold the man up, calling for help, the latter fought desperately, biting Jackson on the hand. The latter used one knee as a quietening effect and removed tivo bottles of beer Irom the man s pockets, lest he use them as Aveapons. A small dinghy containing Alessrs AV Gunn and L. Gribble, reached the moil and assisted in holding them up till a larger dinghy arrived. Both men were exhausted on reaching the shore, hirst aid Avas rendered by Air Gunn and later IDrJi el melon ordered Harvey to the I hospital. The strange feature is that I Colson states that from the moment of | entering the Avater Harvey’s head was j iiCA'cr submerged.