OVER-STUDY TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1280, 4 August 1914, Page 4

OVER-STUDY TRAGEDY.

UNDERGRADUATE’S SUICIDE.

A few weeks ago a brilliant young undergraduate of Balliol College, Oxford, was found dead in bis bedroom with his throat cut. The undergraduate, Mr Herbert Frederick Slade, had been a victim of mental and religious depression and insomnia. At the inquiry, which was held in the college, Mr Slade’s brother, who lives at Archfield Road, Bristol, said that his brother had suffered of late from fits of depression.

Dr H. G. Frean, who attended Mr Slade during Hilary term this year, said that he was then suffering from mental and religious depression and insomnia. Mr Slade said to him on one occasion that he felt God had deserted him. The witness wrote to Mr Slade’s mother, and advised the young man to go home. MrJ. W. Russell, Mr Slade’s tutor, said that Mr Slade was a very clever man, being scholar of Balliol and junior mathematical scholar of the university. He was depressed about his abilities, but to a large extent this was a delusion.

The Rev H. H. Gibbon, chaplain of Balliol, said that Slade had been in residence for nearly three years. He was very religious, and a man of the highest character. He had complained to him of depression, and when he advised him to go for a holiday last term, be said that he had never had a holiday for fourteen years without working, and would not know what to do with himself.

The coroner remarked that this was a very sad case, and unfortunately not a case one had not met with in Oxford before. It was the case of a brilliant young scholar, working very hard, and yet with great distrust in his own powers. A letter had been written by Mr Slade, but it was of no public interest. When Mr Slade spoke of bis feelings be gave very definite evidence to his (the coroner's) mind of the great mental confusion he was in just before his death. He also spoke in most affectionate and loving terms of his family and friends. The letter was not read to the jury. A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned, Mr Slade won a mathematical scholarship from Bristol Grammar School to Balliol in 19x1. He obtained a first in Mathematical Moderations, and was distinguished in the Junior Mathematical Scholarship examination in 1912. He was elected junior mathematical scholar in 1913*