Dramatic Suicide.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 November 1917, Page 1

Dramatic Suicide.

STOREMAN 'HANGS HIMSELF. IN HIS WIFE'S PRESENCE. A suicide occurred on Friday evening at Freeman's Bay, Auckland, where a storeman named Kdward Goulding Boden hanged himself, in his wife's presence, she being powerless to lirevent him. At the inquest, Dr. W. H. Ilorton said that at about 7.30 he went to a house in Middle Street, in response to a police call, and found deceased. Ho was then dead. The roof of the room where ho was lying was about six feet high, and suspended from the rafter were two pieces of rope, one of which had been broken and one of which had been cut. Witness was shown a box about three feet high, which he was informed had been moved from under the rope. There as a mark around the neck of deceased, which had evidently been, made by two pieces of the same sized rope as was hanging from the rafter. The neck had been tightly constricted by the rope, and his face was jmls and his cervical vertebrae was dislocated. Death, in witness' opinion, had been due to the dislocation of deceased's neck by the rope in question, and had been instantaneous. The appearances were consistent with his having fastened the rope to the rafter, then round his neck and jumped olf the box. There were no other marks of violence on the body, and no appearance of a struggle. There was nothing to indicate that he had been drinking.

Nellie Bodcn, wife of deceased, stated her husband was employed at a fruit auction mart as a storcman. B.e had been drinking recently. He came home at about 5.30 last evening, and witness remonstrated with him for spending so much money. She urged him to take the pledge. Deceased then jumped up and said, "I will be finished with the dashed thing altogether. Come into the kitchen. Where is a rope?" And before witness realised what he was doing he had the rope round his neck and over the rafter. The rope broke. He then rushed round the room, and witness was afraid lie would get a razor. He then said to witness, "Out of my way; if you touch me 1" will murder you." Ho was evidently out of his mind, as his eyes were standing out of his head, and he dashed witness away as though she were a child. He then got the second piece of rope, put it round his neck and the rafter, and before witness could do anthing jumped off the box or kicked it from under him. Witness then went to the corner shop, but was unable to get assistance for some time. Eventually a neighbour came and cut the body down. Deceased had attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat about six years ago.

A verdict was returned that the cause of death was dislocation of the cervical vertebrae, due to suicide by hanging. The evidence showed that deceased had been drinking, and it appeared that his act. was committed while in a state of temporary insanity, which was to some extent induced bv drink.