ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17685, 24 July 1919, Page 4

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE

STARTLING INCIDENT AT SEA.

TRAGEDY NARROWLY AVERTED,

(Pan United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 23. Some particulars of* a mysterious happening on the Prinzessin were told in the Magistrate's Court this afternoon, when G. S. Aspinall and Bessie Bates were charged before Mr Page, S.M., with having attempted to commit suicide. The male accused showed somo hesitation when asio?d to plead, but finally he said: "I will plead guilty. _ I was sorry for another person. I did it on account of sorrow." The female defendant also admitted the charge against her.

Chief Detective Boddam said that Aspinall was the doctor of the Prinzessin, and the female accused was a passenger. The latter had informed witness and Constable Burnett that on Monday afternoon she was in the doctor's. cabin, where she found somo phials containing a drug- in tabloid form apd marked "poison." Obtaining possession of ono phial she took the contents about 10 o'clock at night, but sho refused to state her reasons for having done so. Early the following morning she was found in a state of collapse. Two other medical men were travelling on the vessel, and they saved the woman's life by applying restoratives. She was now out of danger. When the male accused was charged aboard the vessel he stated that on hearing of Miss Bates's condition 09a result of taking the drug he felt that he was to blame for carelessly leaving the tabloids in his cabin. He said the responsibility was so great that he had taken 14 grains himself. The two other doctors saved his life. The chief deteotive added that thero was not the slightest doubt that if theso two doctors had not been 011 board the ship would have bsen_ berthed with two corpses. Ho knew nothing about the doctor, and in his 'ease ho asked tile magistrate to defer passing sentence for a week. He was not in a fit state to bo at large. He had threatened, not only to the captain but to other people, that he would commit suicide. The female accuscd was the daughter of respsctable people, who lived near Waverley. The police knew nothing at all about the girl, and had not had time to see her parents. The chief detective suggested that, pending sentence, tho female accused might be placed in care of the Salvation Army authorities, and he reiterated that, it was not safe to let the male accused go out.

His Worship remanded Aspinall for a week's modical treatment, and ordered that the defendant Bates should be brought up again on Saturday. Meanwhile she was to bo placed in the care of the Salvation Army.