COLLEGE TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1931, Page 5

COLLEGE TRAGEDY

> —o ♦«■*--< DEATH OF A STUDENT. SCOTLAND YARD’S CLAIM. THAT ELLIS COMMITTED SUICIDE [United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright,.] LONDON, February 24. In the event of the conclusions of the police and college authorities in the Ellis case being reached to-night proving correct, Ellis staged one ol the most amazing suicides on record. The theory is that lie committed' suicide by suffocating himself, alter he had gagged and hound himself with such elaborate ceremony, as to give the impression that lie was murdered. The “Daily Telegraph” says the conviction is the outcome of a full consideration of the circumstances, m which the body was found. In a reconstruction of the drama by Scotland Yard, and a detailed report of Sir 13. Spilsbury s post mortem, the full story of the grim tragedy is almost inconceivable. Ellis dined in the hall at. 6.30 on Sunday and chatted freely, After dinner lie retired to his room and planned liis own destruction He hound and gagged himself, as cabled, and having thus completely enveloped his limbs and face iii at least two dozen handkerchiefs,, Jio buried his face in a pillow and suffocated himself, He was found lying so close to the door that it could only be opened an inch or two. This fact alone proved that nobody could have left the room. Further more the room was in perfect order.

The police carried out experiments showing it was possible to be dono with his own hands.

Spilsbury’s report makes it clear that Ellis put the gag in his own mouth. Ellis was studying archaeology and anthropology, and is described as quiet and studious, and was intensely intersted in his studies