EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1987, 7 June 1919, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. Evidence as to a hallucination leading to an extraordinary mode of suicide was given before the Whangarei coroner, Mr J. M. Kilien, at an inquest into the circumstances of the death of Jessie West, who since April 24th was employed as a housemaid at the Whangarei Hotel. It was stated that the deceased was about 32 years of ago. She was regarded as married and living apart from her husband. It is not known whether West was her maiden name or her married name. The evidence showed that (he deceased, accompanied by a friend, Pearl Burke, a housemaid at the same hotel, walked down to the Whangarei Wharf shortly after eight o’clock on Monday night, and proceeded to undress on the wharf. Wearing only her nightdress, she •handed her clothes to Burke, ami bade her return to the hotel, which she did, leaving (he while iigure of her friend standing on the launch steps, just above the water of the tidal river. The body so dressed was recovered on Tuesday, some distance down the river by Charles Viiiing, settler, of Awaroa Creek. He notified the police, who had already, in consequence of information from the licensee of the hotel, been searchingdhe river all day. The deceased was one of the best housemaids in the hotel, sharing a, room with another girl named Murray, where she used to hold spiritualistic meetings with Burke and Murray. A week previous to her death'the deceased said to the latter, in Burke’s presence, that she intended to drown herself.

The girl Burke was deeply affected while giving evidence. She stated (hat she walked to the wharf together with deceased, who said she “was going to a friend.” When told not to be foolish, deceased answered, “My Freddie is calling me.”

The Coroner: Where was Freddie ? Witness: lie is dead. It was his spirit calling. The deceased also said before leaving the hotel that she had nothing to live for. Continuing, witness said she did not call for help when she left her friend on the wharf, nor inform anyone, as the deceased begged her to let her go and not tell. The deceased left all her clothes to Burke, and a letter was read as follows;—;

“Should any dispute arise over my I have given them all to Pearl Burke. She is in no way holping mo to do what I am about to do. —Jessie West.” This letter was handed to witness on the Monday night, some while previous to the walk to the wharf. The Coroner: Didn’t you try to persuade her not to do this? Witness: Yes, I said don’t go, Jessie. You are too young. You have a lot to live for. The deceased replied: “No, I have nothing to live for. My Freddie has gone, and I must go also.” The coroner, summing up, said it, was one of (ho most curious inquests he had ever had to deal with. It was quite clear the life of the deceased might have been saved if ordinary common sense had been used by her companion. It was evident from the conversation during the walk to the wharf that deceased intended to drown hcFsclf, Burke nevertheless accompanied her and allowed her to disrobe. She took possession of her clothes, and coolly walked away. It was difficult for a rational being to imagine such an incident. He found a verdict that the deceased, Jessie West, came to her death in the Whangarei River, and death was due to drowning by throwing herself into the water. He was inclined to think there was mental derangement, not only indicated by suicide, bu; by hearing voices, all pointing to the inference that the deceased was out of her mind. He was noi prepared to say that no blame should be attached to anyone. Pearl Burke was morally to blame, if not liable under the criminal law. It might be she was a simple kind of girl, and she must be so or she would not have acted in? the way she did,